I HE TEAGHER’S HELPER, 


Vol. VI. NOVEMBER, 1899. No. 4. 





o School 0 


and Intermediate 
Grades 


Primary 


H i i vSvXrr *)SfeS2S£J 

Th« Teacher’s Helper is published monthly in Chicago by A. FLA.NAGAN 

Entered at Chicago Post Office as second class matter. 












































S* TEACHER’S HELPER 


Is the result of a wish on the part of the publishers to issue in 
cheap form Guides or Helps to Teachers on given subjects, and also 
excellent Supplementary Reading, at a low price. 


THE NUMBERS AS ISSUED ARE: 



'No. 

I. 

Aug., 

1894. Cook’s Nature Myths and Stories. 


(4 

II. 

Sept., 

“ Ensign’s U. S. History Outlines. 

• 

4 4 

III. 

Oct. 

“ Burton’s Outlines of English Grammar. 


( 4 

IV. 

Nov., 

“ Out of Print. 

w 

u 

VI. 

Jan., 

1895. Nameless Stories, Supplementary Reading. 


44 

VII. 

Feb., 

“ Study of Hiawatha, Teacher's Edition. 

3 1 

u 

VIII. 

March, 

“ Norse Gods and Heroes. 

mJ 

© 

u 

IX. 

April, 

“ Castle’s Entertainments No. 1. 

> 

4 * 

X. 

May, 

“ Introductory Guide to Nature Study. 


4 4 

XI. 

June, 

“ Walks and Talks, by William Hawley Smith. 


44 

XII. 

J uly, 

“ Helper in School Entertainments. 


'No. 

I. 

Aug., 

1895. Fables and Fact Stories. 


44 

II. 

Sept., 

“ Cat Tails and Other Tales. 


4 4 

III. 

Oct., 

“ Three Little Lovers of Nature. 

rs 

4 4 

TV. 

Nov., 

“ Castle's Entertainments No. 2. 

LU 

44 

V. 

Dec., 

“ Legends of the Red Man’s Forest. 


44 

VI. 

Jan., 

1896. Victor in Buzzland, Natural History. 

= 1 

44 

VII. 

Feb., 

“ Taylor’s Literary Work in the Schoolroom. 

j 

44 

VIII. 

March, 

Stories from American History, Ellis. 

o 

44 

IX. 

April, 

Pritchard’s Choice Dialogues. 

> 

44 

X. 

May, 

“ Nature and History Stories. 


“ 

XI. 

June, 

“ Ways, Methods and Devices of 1.000 Prominent Teachers. 
“ Epochs in American History, Ellis. 


L “ 

XII. 

July, 


'No. 

I. 

Aug., 

1896. Scientific Temperance Manual. 


44 

II. 

Sept., 

“ Leading American Industries.—Minerals. 

“ Lewis’ History Outlines. 


• 4 

III. 

Oct., 


44 

IV. 

Nov., 

“ Our Gold Mine.—Sequel to Black Beauty. 

flj 

w 

V. 

Dec., 

“ Strike at Shanes. 


“ 

VI. 

Jan., 

1897. History of My Friends, or Home Life with Animals. 


“ 

VII. 

Feb., 

“ Lives of the Presidents.—Ellis. 

J 

44 

VIII. 

March, 

“ Select Stories.—Bass. 

o 

44 

IX. 

April, 

“ Our Friends, the Birds. 

> 

44 

X. 

May, 

“ The Pied Piper and Other Stories enlarged. 


4 4 

XI. 

June, 

“ Talks about Common Things.—McLeod. 


44 

XII. 

July, 

“ JVallbank’s Outlines and Exercises in English Grammar. 


rNo. 

I. 

Aug.. 

1897. Eberhart’s Elements of Entomology. 


41 

II. 

Sept. 

“ Graded Instructions in Drawing. 


14 

III. 

Oct., 

** Fables and Tales.—Rocheleau. 


41 

IV. 

Nov., 

“ Helps in Teaching Little Ones. 

u 

l« 

V. 

Dec., 

“ Christmas Gems.—Recitations for Christmas. 


4 4 

VI. 

Jan., 

1898. Leading American Industries.—Products of the Soil. 


44 

VII. 

Feb., 

“ Early History Stories. 

3 

44 

VIII. 

March, 

- “ Blocks With Which We Build. Supplementary Reading. 

O 

44 

IX. 

April, 

“ Pritchard’s Choice Dialogues. 


44 

X. 

May, 

“ Aunt Martha’s Corner Cupboard 


44 

XI. 

June, 

“ Black Beauty. , 

“ A Term's Work on'Longfellow. 


44 

X 

XII. 

July, 


rNo. 

I. 

Aug., 

1898. Outlines and Topics of English History. 


4 4 

II. 

Sept., 

“ Cortez, Montezuma and Mexico. By Bess Mitchell. 

« 

44 

III. 

Oct., 

“ Outlines for Advanced Grades in U. S. History. 

in 

44 

IV. 

Nov. 

“ The Story of Lafayette. 

Qi 

44 

V. 

Dec., 

“ The Evangeline Book. 

S. 

41 

VI. 

Jan., 

1899. Natural Method of Number Teaching. 

3< 

4 1 

VH. 

Feb., 

“ Manual of Nature Study. 

3 

44 

VIII. 

March, 

“ Dramatized Themes. 

o 

> 

44 

IX. 

April, 

“ The Story of Longfellow. 


44 

X. 

May, 

“ A Term’s Work on Whittier. 


44 

XI. 

June, 

“ Evangeline Study. 


44 

XII. 

July, 

“ Talks about Authors. 

VOLUME 6. 


No. 

I. 

Aug., 

Sept. 

1899. Geographical Spice. 


\4 

II. 

“ New Century Songs. 


14 

III. 

Oct. 

“ The Harvest Rune. 


44 

IV. 

Nov. 

“ Castle's Entertainments No. 3. 


Subscription Price, $2.00 per Volume. Any number 25c. 

A. PLAINAGAIN, Publisher, 

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CASTLE’S 


School Entertainments, No. 3 

# 

COMPRISING 


RECITATIONS, DIALOGUES, CONCERT 
RECITATIONS, DRILLS, 
CHARADES, ETC. 


5 


MUCH OF WHICH WAS WRITTEN EXCLUSIVELY 
FOR THIS WORK 


BY 



H. D 


. CASTLE 


* 


CHICAGO; 

A. FLANAGAN, Publisher. 


TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 

t/brary of Centre**. 

Office o f the 

NOV 2 9 T»pq 

Register of Copyrights, 



51526 


Copyright, 1899, 
BY 

A. FLANAGAN. 



CONTENTS 


RECITATIONS AND EXERCISES FOR PRIMARY 

GRADES. 

Page 

A Careless Mother.Harriet Davenport Castle 37 

A Circus Every Day.Edmund Vance Cooke 28 

A Necklace of Love. 34 

A Puzzle .Emma C. Dowd 35 

A Question of Pedigree.Harper’s Round Table 54 

An Unnatural Mother.Cora A. Lewis 14 

A Winter Nap.H. D. Castle 30 

A Would-be Patriot. 34 

Bobby’s Trouble.Harper’s Round Table 31 

Butterfly Bows.Mildred Howells 15 

Christmas Pie.Harriet D. Castle' 36 

Dolly’s Lesson ...:. 31 

Four Friends . 47 

“Fritz”.Rebecca Palfrey Utter 22 

Grandpa’s Glasses . 43 

“Handle with Care”.Judith L. C. Garnett 21 

^He Doesn’t Look Like Me.Harriet D. Castle 51 

If! If! . 16 

If I Was My Mamma.Harriet D. Castle 55 

If I Was My Papa.Harriet D. Castle 19 

If They Could!.Emma C. Dowd 15 

“In a Minute”.L. E. Chittenden 52 

Interviewing Speckle.Harriet D. Castle 12 

Jink’s Choice for President_Charles Abingdon Phillips 50 

Johnnie’s Refuge . 41 

Letting the New Year In.H. D. Castle 43 

Little Flo’s Letter. 9 

Mickey McGee.Sidney Dayre 54 

Naughty Claude......James Whitcomb Riley 53 

Old Uncle Joe..Emma C. Dowd 23 

On the Shelf... 

Out of Their Element.Harriet D. Castle 48 

.P riscilla.Harper’s Round Table 17 

Prying Mary.Katharine Pyle 39 




































2 


CONTENTS. 


Riding Home. 

Small Hands. 

So Handy!. 

Something Unusual. 

So Puzzled. 

Stewed Quaker. 

Taking a Picture of Kitty. 

The Attraction of Levitation.. 

The Fire. 

The Merriest Time. 

The Message of the New Year. 

The New Star. 

The Old Sinner. 

The Pit . 

The Race. 

The Sad Story of the Mouse 

The Seamstress. 

The Wind in the Chimney. 

Trying to Be Good. 

Up-and-Doing. 

What Am I?. 

When Teddy Smith. 

Why Baby Looks Up. 

Young Patriots. 


Page 

..Lida C. Tulloch 45 

.Sidney Dayre 35 

. .Eudora Stone Bumstead 44 
..Emma Endicott Marean 27 

.Harriet D. Castle 18 

_Margaret E. Sangster 8 

..Little Men and Women 23 

.H. G. Paine 11 

.Laura E. Richards 26 

.M. E. S. 42 

. 41 

.H. D. Castle 24 

. 41 

.Harriet D. Castle 51 

. Thomas Holmes 52 

.Katharine Pyle 25 

.Harriot Sterling 38 

.Mary E. Binyon 38 

.Arthur J. Burdick 12 

.Frank Wolcott Hutt 29 

. 7 

...Catherine Young Glen 19 
Rev. Pollock Hutchinson 49 
.Sidney Dayre 33 


PRIMARY CLASS RECITATIONS. 


Infantry Volunteers. 

Just Like Our Papas Do 
Mamma’s Little Mice.... 

Sow! Sew! So!. 

Springtime. 


.Harriet D. Castle 58 

.H. D. Castle 56 

.Mary E. Stone 58 

.Eva Lovett 60 

Harriet D. Castle 62 


EASTER JINGLES. 


A Baby Chain..Youth’s Companion 

Baby Quartette . 

Breakfast of the Flowers.Harriet D. Castle 

Doing Their Best.Albert F. Caldwell 

Expelled . 

Five Little Boys. 

Going for the Doctor.....Silver Star No. 7 

Good Night.H. D. Castle 

Mother Earth to Her Children. 

Opinions.Marion Beatty 

The Popcorn Ball.Harriet D. Castle 


67 
76 
66 
75 
69 
74 

68 
73 
64 
72 
63 










































CONTENTS 


RECITATIONS AND EXERCISES FOR INTERMEDIATE 

GRADES. 

Fage 

A Charm That Avails.Ethel Maude Colson 103 

A Dairy in the Meadow. 128 

A Glorious Fourth....Joe Lincoln 123 

An Arbor-Day Thought.E. H. T. 90 

A Message to Boys.Robert J. Burdette 80 

A Strike in the Kitchen.Harriet D. Castle lol 

Captain Nathan Hale.Sarah Piatt 124 

Conceit . Puck 88 

Cowslip Gold.Harriet D. Castle 107 

De Sherman Frow.Dr. W. A. Woodward 97 

Easter in the Woods.Helen T. Eliot 109 

For Memorial Day.Florence Josephine Boyce 131 / 

Jes’ ’Fore Christmas.Eugene Field 111— 

John Paul Jones, Hero.Arthur J. Burdick 94 

May Be So.Ruth McEnery Stuart 119 

My Ma, She Knows.Birch Arnold 116 

Playmates.E. H. Thomas 133 

Quarter to Nine.Elizabeth Rosser 106 

"Santa at the Klondike.H. D. C. 121 

Take a Present to Yourself.Sam Walter Foss 82 

The Beginning.Persis Gardiner 86 

The Clothes Make the Man.Nixon Waterman 96 

The Doodle Bird.Chicago Record 114 

The First Tangle. 105 

The Fundamental Rule.William G. Kemper 130 

The Land of Chance. 100 

The Merchant’s Choice.1.Rufus Clark Landon 115 

The Sleeping of the Wind.Charles B. Going 127 

The Song of the Wheat.Emma Playter Seabury 132 

The Sun and the Wind.Robert S. Talcott 92 

The Town of Nogood.Wm. E. Penny 87 

The Watering Trough.Sarah K. Bolton 118 

They Say.Ella Wheeler Wilcox 126 

Things to See.Wm. J. Long 98 

Three Worthy Words.Philip Burroughs Strong 91 

Try Again.C. A. S. Dwight 110 

We Are Twelve.Harriet D. Castle 78 

When Hard Times Called at Our House.Harriet D. 

Castle ... 89 

When Mother Feeds the Chickens.Will L. Davis 84 

When We Are Men.Harriet D. Castle 113 

Who Knows?.Golden Days 104 













































CONTENTS 


RECITATIONS AND EXERCISES FOR HIGHER GRADE. 

Page 

Contented .Emma Eggleson 167 

Ikey’s Stratagem (Farce).Harriet D. Castle 189 

Miss Perkins, from Maine.Emma Eggleson 177 

Suggestions for Arranging Silhouettes. 187 

Ten Little Mice Went to Market.Harriet D. Castle 184 

The Ambulance.John Carleton Sherman 173 

The Man with the Hoe.Edward Markham 182 

The Miller of Normandy.C. A. Keife 174 

The Mother of an Angel.Theodosia Pickering 180 

The Star in the West.Harriet D. Castle 169 

The Wisdom of Fools.Rev. J. H. Bomberger 171 


RECITATIONS AND TABLEAUX, SONGS AND PANTO¬ 
MIMES, ETC. 


A Lesson in Astronomy.Youth’s Companion 

A Selfish Little Boy.Harriet D. Castle 

A World-Reformer.Sam W T alter Foss 

Columbia’s Baking Day.Harriet D. Castle 

On Quantuck Pond (Dialogue). 

Evolution of the Christmas Stocking. .Harriet D. Castle 

Having His Fortune Told (Tableau). 

Riddle Afternoon . 

The Ups and Downs of Early Life (Tableau) . 


134 

161 

136 

139 

147 

142 

166 

166 

166 






















Castle’s School Entertainments, No. 3 


Recitations and Exercises for Primary Grades. 


WHAT AM I ! 


D AKNUM once had a funny freak, 

^ And many wise men came 
To argufy and classify 
And give it proper name. 

And so the argument profound 
Waxed hot, and hotter yet, 

Till (questionable settlement) 

They called it, "What Is It?” 

I have so many names I fear 
Some showman, shrewd and sly, 

Will come along and capture me, 

And call me, "What am I?” 

I’m mamma’s "dove,” and then her "deer,” 
And then her "pussie” wee; 

And, when I dust the chairs, real nice. 

Her "little busy bee.” 




8 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


And, when I sing for papa, 

A little “bird” am I: 

And, when I have my red dress on, 
“His little butterfly.” 

But Brother Tom's the worst one: 

He calls me, “little kid;” 

And, when I eat the apples up, 

“A greedy little pig.” 

Then when I went to cross the brook 
And slipped, and tumbled flat, 

He helped me out and laughed to see 
“The little drown-ded rat.” 

He says Pm “crosser than a bear, 

A reg’lar little calf.” 

He says, “Oh, you’re a daisy!” 

Oh! I can’t tell you half. 

Sometimes I am a “little duck;” 

Sometimes a “precious lamb;” 
Sometimes, you will not wonder much, 
I wonder what I am. 


STEWED QUAKER. 

BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER. 

| DON’T like to be very ill—just ill enough to make 
* her, 

(My grandmamma) say softly, “Child, I’ll fix you some 
stewed Quaker.” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


9 


It’s sweet and thick and very nice, and has molasses 
in it, 

And lots of vinegar and spice; you want it every 
minute. 

And being medicine, of course, you sip and say it’s 
dandy. 

Just only think! it’s medicine, and tastes like taffy 
candy! 

Now castor-oil and squills, and stuff that wrinkles up 
your forehead, 

And puckers up your mouth, and gags and burns, 
are simply horrid. 

I don’t mind being ill at all, if darling grandma’ll 
make her 

Nice dose she used to make for pa when he was 
young—stewed Quaker. 

—Harper’s Round Table. 


LITTLE FLO’S LETTER. 

A SWEET, little baby brother 
Had come to live with Flo, 

And she wanted it brought to the table 
That it might eat and grow— 

“It must wait for a while,” said grandma, 
In answer to her plea, 

“For a little thing that hasn’t teeth 
Can’t eat like you and me.” 



10 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“Why hasn’t it got teeth, grandma?” 

Asked Flo, in great surprise; 

“Oh, my! but ain’t that funny? 

No teeth, hut nose and eyes? 

I guess” (after thinking gravely), 
“They must have been fordot. 

Can’t we buy him some like grandpa’s, 
I’d like to know why not?” 

That afternoon to the corner 
With .paper, pen and ink 
Went Flo, saying, “Don’t talk to me. 

If you do, it’ll stop my think! 

I’m writing a letter, grandma, 

To send away to-night; 

And ’cause it’s very ’portant 
I want to get it right.” 

At last the letter was finished, 

A wonderful thing to see— 

And directed to “God in Heaven.” 

“Please read it over to me,” 

Said Little Flo to her grandma, 

“To see if it’s right, you know.” 
And here is the letter written 
To God from little Flo:— 

“Dear God, the baby you brought us 
Is awful nice and sweet. 

But ’cause you forgot his tofies, 

The poor, little thing can’t eat; 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


il 


That’s why I’m writing this letter 
A purpose to let you know, 

Please come and finish the baby, 

That’s all. From Little Flo.” 


THE ATTRACTION OF LEVITATION. 


BY H. G. PAINE. 


i i H dear!” said little Johnny Frost, 
“Sleds are such different things! 
When down the hill you swiftly coast 
You’d think that they had wings; 

“But when uphill you slowly climb, 
And have to drag your sled, 

It feels so heavy that you’d think 
’Twas really made of lead. 

• “And all because an Englishman, 

Sir Isaac Newton named, 

Invented gravitation, and 
Became unduly famed; 

“While if he had reversed his law, 

So folks uphill could coast. 

It seems to me he would have had 
A better claim to boast. 



12 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“Then coasting would all pleasure be; 
To slide up would be slick! 


And dragging sleds downhill would be 
An awful easy trick!” 


—Harper’s Round Table. 


TRYING TO BE GOOD. 


A LITTLE Bunnie Longears was resting in the 
wood, 

A-thinking and a-studying the best way to be good. 
Said he: “It’s very plain to me that such a length 
of ear 

Was given me to indicate that I should try to hear.” 

1 He lifted up his left ear, and lifted up his right, 

2 And he listened, and he listened with all his little 

might; 

And the first thing that this Bunnie heard it 
chanced to be a sound. 

3 So, whisk! away he scampered to his burrow in the 

ground. —Arthur J. Burdick. 

1 Pull top of left ear up, then top of right. 

2 Hand back of ear, as if listening. 

3 Run off platform. 


INTERVIEWING SPECKLE. 


i C UT-cut-cut-ka-dar-cut!” 



Hear old speckletop. 


“Cut-cut-cut-ka-dar-cut!” 


When you going to stop? 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“Cut-cut-cut-ka-dar-cut!” 

Say, old yellow legs, 

Won’t you please to tell me 
Where you lay your eggs? 

Just a week from Sunday 
Will be Easter day. 

And Fm very anxious 
All the hens should lay. 

Don’t I like to find eggs 
And hide them safe away! 

Fve an even dozen 
Hidden in the hay. 

Most provoking chicken 
Ever was, I think. 

I can ’most imagine 
That I see her wink; 

Asking, with head sideways, 

[Stand on one foot and hold head sideways.] 

Standing on one leg, 

“Don’t you wish Fd tell you 
Where I put my egg?” 

Wait ’till I find something [Look about.] 
Nice and soft to fling. [Pick up apple.] 
Here’s a rotten apple: 

Shoo! you mean old thing. 

[Fling apple.] 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 




AN UNNATURAL MOTHER. 


C HE looked as sweet a mamma 
^ As one could wish to see; 

I often thought “How happy 
That child of hers should be.” 

She oft caressed it fondly, 

'Twas robed with tender care— 

She fed and taught it kindly, 

And brushed its golden hair. 

Wherever duty called her, 

The “precious child” must go; 

'Twas warmly wrapped and carried 
Thro’ rain, or shine, or snow, 

But oh! a dreadful story— 

Too true—I tell you now— 

She tired of her dear baby 
And fed it to the cow. 

And when I, sad, reproachful. 

Deplored her fickle mind, 

The answer which she gave me 
Was anything but kind— 

While hound her lips there hovered 
A little scornful curl: 

“You certenney is stressded 
'Bout that old punkin girl.” 

—Cora A. Lewis. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


IF THEY COULD! 

T F potatoes could see with all of their eyes, 

A And if corn could hear with its ears, 

They’d grow in one season so wondrously wise 
They’d never he eaten, my dears! 

, —Emma C. Dowd. 


BUTTERFLY BOWS. 

BY MILDRED HOWELLS. 

NCE a little girl existed 
Who was fond of pomps and shows, 
And upon her braids insisted 
Tying two great scarlet hows. 

Though her father couldn’t bear them. 
And her gentle mother said 
That she wished her child should wear them 
Tied with modest hows instead. 

But their wishes she made light of, 

And her gaudy ribbons grew 
Bigger every day, in spite of 
All her friends could say or do. 

Till this child, all counsel spurning, 

Found with horror and surprise 
That her hows were slowly turning 
Into monstrous butterflies. 



16 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

First they gently swayed and fluttered, 

Then with spreading wings thev flew. 

Ere one sad farewell was uttered. 

Straight into the welkin blue. 

So she vanished; still her mother 

Hopes those wandering hows will bring 
Back her daughter, when the other 
Butterflies return with Spring. 

—Harper’s Round Table. 


IF! IF! 

TF every boy and every girl, 

* Arising with the sun. 

Should plan this day to do alone. 

The good deeds to be done; 

Should scatter smiles and kindly words, 
Strong, helpful hands should lend; 

And to each other’s wants and cries 
Attentive ears should lend; 

If every man and woman, too, 

Should join these workers small. 

Oh, what a flood of happiness 
Upon our earth would fall! 

How many homes would sunny be 
Which now are filled with care! 

And joyous, smiling faces, too, 

Would greet us everywhere. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


17 


I do believe the very sun 

Would shine more clear and bright. 
And every little twinkling star 
Would shed a softer light. 

But we, instead, must watch to see 
If other folks are true, 

And thus neglect so much that God 
Intends for us to do. 


_ _PRISCILLA. 


M 


ILES STANDISH was a fellow 
Who understood quite well, oh, 

In fighting with the redskins how to plan, plan, plan. 
But I think him very silly 
When he wished to woo Priscilla 
To send another man, man, man. 


For she said unto this other, 

Whom she loved more than a brother, 

“Why don’t you speak, John Alden, for yourself, self, 
self?” 

So of course John Alden tarried, 

And the fair Priscilla married, 

And they laid poor Captain Standish on the shelf, 
shelf, shelf. 


-Harper’s Round Table. 



18 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


SO PUZZLED. 


T""\ EAR mamma I’m so puzzled 
^ I don’t know what to do. 

Here’s t-o, to, t-o-o, too, and t-w-o, two 
And how to spell them, when I write, 
I cannot tell: can you? 


If you want to go to grandpa’s 
You’ll spell it, t-o, to: 

And if our baby Bess should want 
To go along with you 
She’d have a crying spell and say, 
Take me t-o-o, too. 


If grandpa gave two apples 
To you and two to Bess, 
You’d say, “I have two apples!” 
T-w-o, two, I guess. 


Oh! I want to go to grandpa’s, 

And Bessie may go, too, 

And get those two big apples. 

Dear mamma, thanks to you, 

Those little twos won’t bother me; 

I know them through and through. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


19 


IF I WAS MY PAP 4. 

T F I was my papa and papa was me 
* Fd be just as good to him as I could be. 

Fd say, “Hello, Jimmie! run on and play ball; 

You needn’t mind doing the chores up^ at all:” 

Or, “Go wade in the brook, it’s so ’freshing and cool: 
Lots more fun, for a boy, than going to school:” 

Or, “Tear around, Jimmie, and raise gen’ral rim; 
Just give me a boy that’s brim full of vim.” 

But, as he isn’t me and I am not him, 

I’d better be getting that kindling wood in. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


WHEN TEDDY SMITH. 

Y\7 HEN Teddy Smith first put on pants, 
* ” He felt so very grand 
He wouldn’t mind his mother, 

Or he wouldn’t hold her hand. 

But on the street he walked ahead, 

And tried to whistle some. 

He thought perhaps he’d go to war. 

And fire an awful gun. 

He wouldn’t ride his hobby-horse, 

He called Jack Spratt “a fib!” 

He sat at meals in father’s chair, 

And scorned his gingham bib. 



20 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


His mother mustn’t spread his bread, 
Nor cut things on his plate; 

She mustn’t say, “No more, my dear!” 
No matter what he ate. 

She mustn’t kiss him when he fell 
And bumped him on the stones, 

And she must say, “Dear sir,” just as 
She did to Mr. Jones! 

So hard to please this gentleman 
His loving mother tried. 

It quite enlarged his dignity, 

And swelled his lofty pride. 

And all was brave, and all was well, 
Until that mother said, 

At eight o’clock, “Of course, dear sir, 
You’ll go alone to bed!” 

Ah, would you have me say what then 
Befell the great big man? 

For if you undertake to guess— 

I hardly think you can! 


He turned the corners of his mouth 
Most fearfully awry, 

He rubbed his grown-up fist awhile 
Across his grown-up eye, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


21 


Then burying in his mother’s lap 
Both pride and manly joy, 

He said in just the littlest voice, 

“I guess Fm just a boy!” 

—-Catherine Young Glen, Youth’s Companion. 


4 ‘HANDLE WITH CARE.” 


T OOK out, little woman! 
^ Look out, little man! 
Do be as careful 
As ever you can. 

For each of you carries 
A treasure too rare 
To risk any trifling; 

So “Handle with care!” 


Your soul is the treasure, 

And day after day 
You make it as black 
Or as white as you may; 

So mind what comes nigh 
And heed where you go— 

Your soul is eternal 
For weal or for woe. 

—Judith L. C. Garnett. 



22 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“FRITZ.” 


T T AS anybody seen my “Fritz?” 

* A You may not think him pretty, 

But he’s the dog that I love best 
In country or in city. 

His hair’s a sort of grizzly gray, 

And not so very curly; 

But he can run like everything, 

And bark both late and early. 

Sometimes he minds me very well; 

And sometimes when I call 
He only sits and wags his tail 
And does not stir at all. 

But the reason why he acts that way 
Is very plain to see; 

Fritz doesn’t know that he’s my dog— 

He thinks that he owns me. 

So, though he has a heap of sense, 

’Twould be just like him, now. 

To think that I’m the one that’s lost, 

And with a great bow-wow 
To go off hunting for his boy 
Through alley, lane and street, 

While I am asking for my dog 
Of everyone I meet. 

—Rebecca Palfrey Utter, in St. Nicholas. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


23 


OLD UNCLE JOE. 


V\7 E were laden with flowers, Star and I, 

V * For the soldiers’ graves, Memorial Day, 

When we passed Uncle Joe’s small cottage by, 
Uncle Joe on the door-step wrinkled and gray. 

“Shall I carry him these?” Star whispered low, 
And ere I could answer away she ..flew, 

And the black, withered hands of old Uncle Joe 
Held the choicest blooms that my garden knew. 

“You should keep them all for the soldiers, Star/’ 
I said, in reproof, as the child came back; 

“But he was a soldier, too, Mamma, 

And he is so old and lame and black!” 

“But those were to put on the graves, you see;” 

She drooped for a moment her golden head, 

Then her eyes grew bright: “It seems to me 
He will like them as well as if he were dead.” 

—Emma C. Dowd. 


TAKING A PICTURE OF KITTY. 

T TOOK my kitty yesterday 
* To have her picture made; 
They wanted me to hold her still 
Because she was afraid. 



24 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

(I never have my picture took, 

Because I always cry 
When it begins to stare at me, 

That awful camera’s eye.) 

My kitty wiggled all about 
And stood upon her head, 

And I forgot the camera 
Until—“All done!” they said. 

But when the picture came it was 
The queerest thing—you see, 

The kitty didn’t show at all— 

The picture was of me! 

—Little Men and Women. 


THE NEW STAR. 


[Boy with flag.] 

H URRAH for the jolly stars and stripes! 

Wherever they may fly. 

Hurrah for the great United States! 
Hurrah for the Fourth of July! 

I think this flag is the grandest flag 
Of all that float; don’t you? 

With its brave bright bars and shining stars 
And it’s field of good, true blue. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


25 


My father says a brand new star 
Will be on it pretty soon. 

Fd like to know where they’ll get it, though. 
Will they buy it of the moon? 

They’ll get it out of the sky, no doubt; 

That’s where the stars all grow. 

The United States can get them first rate, 
Whenever she wants them, you know. 

—H. D. Castle. 


THE SAD STORY OF THE MOUSE. 

BY KATHARINE PYLE. 


N1J winter, when mamma was ill, 
Arul scarce could move at all, 
There used to come a little mouse 
From out the bedroom wall. 


Mamma would scatter crumbs for it; 

’Twas company, she said; 

She liked to see it run about 
While she was there in bed. 

And when mamma was well again, 
The mouse would still come out. 
And nose around in search of food, 
And scamper all about. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


At last one day—oh dear! oh dear!— 

A naughty boy was I; 

I set a trap to catch that mouse; 

I’m sure I don’t know why. 

I’d hardly closed the cupboard door 
Before the thing went, Snap! 

I was afraid to go and look 
At what was in the trap. 

At last I looked; the mouse was there! 

I carried it away; 

I never told a soul of it; 

I could not play all day. 

And after that mamma would say, 

“Why, where’s our little mouse? 

It must have found some other place 
I think, about the house.” 

But, oh, I’d give my bat and ball, 

My kite and jackknife too, 

To see that mouse run round again 
The way it used to do. 

—Harper’s Round Table. 


THE FIRE. 


RICKLETY, cracklety, I am the Fire! 
Cricklety, cracklety, cree! 

Flickering, flackering, higher and higher, 
What is so pleasant to see? 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


27 


Winter winds may be piping drearily, 

Snow in a blinding whirl, 

Come to me and I’ll warm you cheerily, 

Dear little boy and girl. 

Scarlet and gold my flames go leaping, 
Sparkles glitter and die; 

Curling, swirling, quivering, creeping, 

Ever at work am I. 

Wood or coal, however you feed me, 

I’m your friend whenever you need me, 

Eoar away, soar away, higher and higher, 
Cricklety, cracklety, I am the Fire! 

—Laura E. Richards, in St. Nicholas. 


SOMETHING UNUSUAL. 

TJ E hunted through the library, 

* * He looked behind the door, 

He searched where baby keeps his toys 
Upon the nursery floor; 

He searched for cook and Mary, 

He called mamma to look, 

He even started sister up 

To leave her Christmas book. 

He couldn’t find it anywhere, 

And knew some horrid tramp 
Had walked in through the open gate 
And stolen it, the scamp! 



2S 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Perhaps the dog had taken it 
And hidden it away: 

Or else perhaps he’d chewed it up 
And swallowed it in play. 

And then mamma came down the stairs. 
Looked through the closet door 
And there it hung upon its peg, 

As it had hung before, 

And Tommy’s cheeks turned rosy red, 
Astonished was his face. 

He couldn’t find his cap—because 
’Twas in its proper place! 

—Emma Endicott Marean, in Youth’s Companion. 


A CIRCUS EVERY DAY. 

H, what a circus a circus life must be. 

Parading every morning for admiring folks to 
see! 

Spangles, bangles everywhere, 

Prancing, dancing ponies there. 

Bands a-playing “Boom-ba-chink!” 

Folks hurrahing—only think! 

If it’s such a lark to see it, 

What fun it must be to be it! 

Oh, what a circus, to know that every day 
You can be a circus at the ladies’ matinee,. 

Hanging by your toes and knees 
On the flying, high trapeze. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Turning somersaults and things, 

Hiding round the triple rings— 

If it’s such a treat to see it, 

What fun it must be to be it! 

Oh, what a circus a circus life must be! 

To have another circus in the evening after tea, 
Then to travel, oh, so far! 

In the “sacred heifer’s” car, 

While the engine goes “Whoot-choo!” 

At the hop-toad kangaroo, 

And the anthropoid grows frantic 
At the ring-tail’s newest antic. 

Oh, what a circus a circus life—but say! 

It might not seem a circus if we had it every day 
Every morning a procession, 

Every afternoon a session, 

Every night another show 
And then have to travel so. 

Oh, it may be fun to see it, 

But think what a bore to be it! 

—Edmund Vance Cooke. 


UP-AND-DOING. 


pv F course, you all have heard about 
The Up-and-Doing Land, I know, 
Geographies have left it out, 

But ’tis not very far to go 



30 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


To find its cities, old and new, 

And all its happy people, too. 

For Up-and-Doing Land is true, 

And not a fairy-land, at all; 

And all have work enough to do 

To keep them busy, great and small, 

The Up-and-Doing people are 
The busy people, near and far. 

The children always find a way 
To keep the idle strangers out; 

And, whether at their work or play, 

They’re bright and wide awake, no doubt. 
Take warning, when you loiter down 
The streets of Up-and-Doing Town. 

—Frank Walcott Hutt. 


A WINTER NAP. 


I N their merry ramble, 

1 Soft spring breezes look 
For the little pussies 
That frolic by the brook; 

Climbing up the willows. 
Funny, furry balls, 
Swinging on the branches, 
Never getting falls. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Pussy, pussy, pussy, 

Wake from your long doze! 

Jack Frost’s gone a journey, 

He’ll not pinch your toes. 

Pussy, pussy, pussy, 

Lazy little things! 

Sleepy pussy willows, 

Waken! It is spring. 

—H. D. Castle. 


BOBBY’S TROUBLE. 

T ’M generally contenter 
A Than any boy I know, 

I’m satisfied most always 
Whate’er may come or go. 

But this time I’m dissatisfied, 

A most peculiar biz! 

There’s something that I want to do, 

But I don’t know what it is. 

—Harper’s Round Table. 


DOLLY’S LESSON. 

[Little girl with doll and primer.] 

OME here, you nigoramus! 
I’m ’shamed to have to ’fess 
You don’t know any letter 
’Cept just your cookie S, 




32 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Now listen, and Fll tell you— 
This round hole’s name is 0, 
And when you put a tail in 
It makes it Q, you know. 


And if it has a front door 
To walk in at, it’s C. 

Then make a seat right here 
To sit on, and it’s G. 


And this tall letter, dolly, 

Is I, and stands for me; 

And when it puts a hat on, 

It makes a cup o’ T. 

And curly I is J, dear, 

And half of B is P. 

And E without his slippers on 
Is only F, you see! 

You turn A upside downwards, 
And people call it Y; 

And if it’s twins, like this one, 

W ’twill he. 

Now, dolly, when you learn ’em. 
You’ll know a great-big heap— 

Most much’s I—0 dolly! 

I b’lieve you’ve gone asleep! 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


YOUNG PATRIOTS. 


\Y7HAT do you think Mother Robin found 
* * Upon the ground 
When she was joyously working away, 

One bright spring day, 

Building a cozy summer nest 
For many a little downy guest? 

Stripes of red and stripes of white 
In the sunshine bright, 

With shining stars on a field of blue, 

She found; don’t you 
Think she was very wise, and more, 

To fly that flag beside her door? 

And so, as you’d naturally think, 

The earliest blink 

Out from under their mother’s wings 
By the cunning things 

Was straight at those stripes and stars so fair, 
Beaming on them as they nestled there. 

Believe it or not, as pleases you, 

But this is true; 

When those young robins forsook their home, 
Afield to roam, 

’Twas Fourth of July, and away they flew, 
Singing “The Star Spangled Banner,” too! 

—Sidney Dayre. 


34 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


A NECKLACE OF LOVE. 


NT 0 rubies of red for my lady— 

* ^ No jewel that glitters and charms, 

But the light of the skies in a little one’s eyes 
And a necklace of two little arms. 

Of two little arms that are clinging 
(Oh, ne’er was a necklace like this!) 

And the wealth o’ the world and love’s sweetness 
impearled 

In the joy of a little one’s kiss. 

A necklace of love for my lady 

That was linked by the angels above. 

No other but this—and the tender, sweet kiss 
That sealeth a little one’s love. 


A WOULD-BE PATRIOT. 

I ’D like to be a patriot, 

*■ I wonder if I can! 

Papa says I am growing fast, 
And soon will be a man. 

I want to be a patriot. 

Like General Washington; 
But now there is not any war. 
And so I can’t be one. 


« 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS^ 

If there’s a war when I am old, 
Real old, perhaps I might 
Stay home and be a patriot, 

And send my sons to fight! 

I rather think Fd like that kind 
Of patriot to be; 

For battles are so dangerous, 

I might get hurt, you see! 


SMALL HANDS. 

\ \ J HAT do you help to plant, my sweet? 
* ^ A place for the cooing doves to meet. 


And you? My hands have helped to raise 
A shade for the lambs on summer days. 

What do you plant? A sheltered rest 
For twittering birds to build a nest. 

Oh what, little one, do you plant to-day? 

A leafy harp for the wind to play. 

Hearts full of love, and hands which try 
To brighten the w r orld for by and by. 

—Sydney Dayre. 


A PUZZLE. 


J'T'IS keen delight to play a joke 
* On Tom, or Grace, or Lloyd; 
But when they play their jokes on me 
Fm never overjoyed! 




36 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


It puzzles me—a joke’s a joke. 

And yet the victim hates it; 

The only one who sees the fun 
Is he who perpetrates it. 

—Emma C. Dowd, in Youth’s Companion. 


CHRISTMAS PIE, 



UI ITTLE Jack-Horner 


^ Sat in a corner,” 
Crying for Christmas pie. 
Boo-hoo! for a plum 
To pull with his thumb: 
Oh, such a big boy to cry! 

Good Grandma Horner 
Spied, in the corner, 

Dear little Grandson Jack. 

“He should have some pie, 
So, dearie, don’t cry.” 
Patting him on the back. 

Good Grandma Horner 
(Mamma did warn her 
Pie didn’t agree with Jack) 

Cut generous slice. 

’Twas gone, in a trice, 
With many a smile and smack. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


37 


On country and town 
The night settled down: 

The children dreamed of Saint Nic: 

The pendulum swung, 

Like a tireless tongue, 

With loud whispered, “Tick, tick, tick.” 

A sorrowful sound 
Breaks the silence, profound: 
Startled, they all awake. 

Alas and alack! 

’Tis poor little Jack 
Who screams with a bad stomachache. 

Jackie, bent double. 

Cries, in his trouble, 

“Send for the doctor! quick! quick!” 
Grandma comes, too, 

And says, “I just knew 
That turkey would make Jackie sick.” 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


A CARELESS MOTHER. 

C OUR little kittens, no stockings or mittens 
* To cover their little pink toes! 

In Tabby’s soft fur they hide them and purr; 

“Oh dear, we’re most froze! no hose! no hose 
To cover our little pink toes! 

“How could wise mother cat be so careless as that? 
To dress us in jackets of fur, 



38 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


And leave our pink toes without any hose, 

'Twas careless in her—pu-ur, pu-ur— 

'Twas certainly careless in her.” 

—Harriet Davenport Castle. 


THE SEAMSTRESS. 


[Little girl in red chair.] 


M 


ISS DOROTHY DOT, in her little red chair, 
Put her thimble on with a matronly air, 


And said: “From this piece of cloth, I guess, 
Fll make my baby brother a lovely dress.” 


She pulled her needle in and out, 

And over and under and round about, 


And through and through, till the snowy lawn 
Was bunched and crumpled and gathered and drawn. 

She sewed and sewed to the end of her thread; 
Then, holding her work to view, she said: 

“This isn't a baby-dress, after all; 

It's a bonnet for my littlest doll!” 

—Harriot Sterling, in St. Nicholas. 


THE WIND IN THE CHIMNEY. 


< 6 YY H, the wind in the chimney, 

I hate the wind in the chimney! 

It scolds and complains, and it never does tire,” 

Says Harry, who's crouching down close to the fire. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Alas! Alas! What does the wind say? 

“0 Harry, you’ve been a bad boy to-day! 

You’ve cheated at school, and cheated at play, 
And worried and fretted to have your own way,” 
Says the angry wind in the chimney. 

“Oh, the wind in the chimney! 

I love the wind in the chimney! 

It laughs and it whistles, it sings and it crows,” 
Says Johnny, who’s warming his fingers and toes. 
Ha, ha! Ha, ha! What does the wind say? 

“0 Johnny, you’ve been a good boy to-day. 

So faithful in school, and honest in play, 

And many a fellow you’ve helped on the way!” 
Says the merry wind in the chimney. 

—Mary E. Binyon, in Youth’s Companion. 


PRYING 31 ARY. 

BY KATHARINE PYLE. 

r\ H, curious, prying Mary, 
Why was it you would try 
To peep in every bundle. 

In every box to pry? 

Mamma had often warned her, 
But still she pried about, 

And nothing could be hidden 
But Mary found it out. 



40 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


It chanced mamma from shopping 
Brought in some things one day. 

“Pray do not touch them, Mary/' she said, 
“While I’m away.” 


But scarce mamma had left her. 
She scarce had closed the door, 
Ere Mary stole on tiptoes 
With haste across the floor. 


She tears the paper open, 

And stoops with eager eyes. 

Puff! In her mouth and up her nose 
The biting pepper flies. 

“Hatchew! hatchew!” she sneezes; 

The tears stream from her eyes. 

“Who would have thought the bundle 
Was pepper!” Mary cries. 

“Hatchew! hatchew!” she sneezes, 

The tears drip from her chin. 

And while she still is sneezing 
Mamma comes softly in. 

She lifts her hands in wonder. 

And Mary hears her cry, 

“Some ill-luck always happens 
To children who will pry.” 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


41 


THE OLD SINNER. 


L_J E was a hundred and a day. 

A * He slyly looked at me; 

“Yeth, I have drunk and chewed and thmoked 
Through all my life,” said he. 

He was a hundred and a day. 

And he was sturdy yet— 

But, gentle reader, it was in 
The poorhouse that we met. 


THE MESSAGE OF THE NEW YEAR. 

T ASKED the New Year for some motto sweet, 
* Some rule of life with which to guide my feet; 
I asked, and paused; he answered, soft and low, 
“God's will to know.” 


“Will knowledge then suffice, New Year?” I cried; 
And ere the question into silence died, 

The answer came—“Nay, remember, too, 

God's will to do.” 


Once more I asked, “Is there no more to tell?' 
And once again the answer sweetly fell— 
“Yes! this one thing, all other things above, 
“God's will to love.” 


JOHNNIE’S REFUGE. 

'"TWO little feet trudging over the road— 
* Daylight was fading away; 

One little face, very frightened and sad, 
Watching the shadows at play; 




42 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Two little eyes looking up to the skies, 

One little quivering chin; 

Two little lips parted innocently 
One little prayer to begin. 

One aged form coming over the road— 

Daylight was fading away; 

One kindly face where from morning till eve 
Flitted the sunbeams at play. 

Two little eyes again raised to the skies; 

Cloudless the one little brow— 

“You need not take care of me longer, dear Lord 
I can see grandfather now.” 


THE MERRIEST TIME. 

[Little girl with parasol.] 

THE merriest time? Why, kite-time, 
* Or the time for playing ball; 

Or maybe you like rolling hoop 
The very best of all. 

But, “Here’s my own opinion,” 

With a little laugh, cries Moll. 

“The best is when I take a walk, 

And carry my parasol. 

“When muffs are packed in camphor, 

And tippets put away, 

When you needn’t always wear your cloak 
In the middle of the day. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“Yes, I declare, the merriest time,” 

With a dimpling laugh, says Moll, 

“Is when I go to take a walk, 

And carry my parasol.” 

—M. E. S., Harper’s Round Table. 


GRANDPA’S GLASSES. 


]\ l\ Y grandpapa has to wear glasses, 

* * * ’Cause his eyesight is not very strong, 

And he calls them his “specs,” and he’s worn them 
For ever and ever so long. 

And when he gets through with his reading 
He carefully puts them away, 

And that’s why I have to help find them 
’Bout twenty-five times in a day. 

But at night when we sit ’round the table. 

And papa and mamma are there, 

He reads just as long as he’s able, 

And then falls asleep in his chair. 

And he sits there and sleeps in his glasses, 

And you don’t know how funny it seems; 

But he says that he just has to wear them 
To see things well in his dreams. 


LETTING THE NEW YEAR IN. 

T N the clean and cozy kitchen 
* Was a merry, merry din; 

The children watched the Old Year out, 
And watched the New Year in. 




44 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

“l’l\ give them all a scare,” said Ned; 

“It’s just the easiest thing; 

HI tiptoe ’round to the front door 
And give the hell a ring.” 

There fell a frightened silence, 

Broken by little Nell; 

“Why don’t you let the New Year in! 

I heard him ring the bell.” 

Then they rushed out and captured Ned, 

Ere he had time to go; 

They rolled him in the snowbank, and 
They washed his face with snow. 

And, when they dragged him in again, 

The wondering baby said, 

“Is that the New Year? Seems to me 
That he looks just like Ned.” 

—H. D. Castle. 


SO HANDY! 

LJ E uses it in work and play, 

* * In every time and place; 

A whisk to brush the flies away, 

A fan to cool his face; 

A basket, all with flowers a-blow, 
Or filled with apples red; 

And when it’s out of use, you know. 
It’s handy on his head. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


45 


It makes a trap for butterflies 
When summer days begin; 

It’s just the very shape and size 
To cuddle kitties in; 

There's not a finer fishing net 
For everything afloat, 

And when a shingle's hard to get, 

It answers for a boat. 

To-day, when rang the dinner-bell, 

He left it in a tree; 

A robin mother scanned it well— 

“A cozy house," chirped she. 

But even while the careful bird 
Considered this and that, 

The owner's cheerful shout was heard— 
“Where did I leave my hat?"* 

—Eudora Stone Bumstead, Youth's Companion. 

* Place old straw hat, which he has been holding behind him, 
head and pass to seat. 

RIDING HOME. 

[Little Boy on a Cane.] 

i i M Y feet's tired," said little Richard, 

*" * When walking out one day. 

“You'll have to carry me, papa, 

All the rest of the way." 

“Why, you're too big to be carried," 

Said papa. “Where's your pride? 

If you can't walk any farther, 

Just take my cane and ride." 



46 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


So the steed Dick mounted quickly 
And galloped off with glee. 

“Riding is easier’n walking, 

Til soon get home,” said he. 

—Lida C. Tulloch, Youth’s Companion. 


ON THE SHELF. 

U PON the Nursery Mantel 
Sat little, fat Chin Lee; 

And the Grief upon his Countenance 
Was something Sad to see. 

For lo! the lovely Pitti-Sing 
Had turned her face away, 

Nor given him a Single Smile 
Through all the Dreary Day. 

What had he done to Vex Her? 

He tried in Vain to think, 

Until his Eyes grew Dim and Pale 
His Cheek so Round and Pink. 

At last, as Darkness Gathered, 

He fell into a Doze, 

And when he Woke,—0 joyous sight 
That on his Vision rose! 

The lovely Pitti-Sing had turned 
Her Face to Him again. 

And smiled upon Him as he gazed 
With all her Might and Main. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


47 


“ ’Twas not my Fault/’ she murmured, 
So sweetly, “dear Chin Lee, 

’Twas little Rosy turned my Head 
This morning, don’t You see? 

“And now she’s Turned it Back (alas, 
We’re manufactured so!) 

You’ll never Doubt me, Dear, again?” 
He meekly whispered, “No.” 

The shadows in the Nursery fell, 

The candles glimmered Red, 

And little Rosy had her Tea, 

And nodding, went to Bed. 

And on the Nursery Mantel 
Sat little, fat Chin Lee, 

And the smile upon his Countenance 
Was something Good to See. 

Beside him lovely Pitti-Sing 
Sat smiling as Himself, 

And all was Peace and Happiness 
Upon the Mantel-shelf. 


FOUR FRIENDS. 


T^HE North Wind brings the snow, 

1 The East Wind brings the shower. 
The South Wind makes the fruit-tree grow, 
The West Wind brings the flower. 



48 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


And which one is the best, 

When I love all so well, 

The North or South, the East or West, 
Would puzzle me to tell. 


OUT OF THEIR ELEMENT. 

IN a wide window nook, with a new picture book, 

* Sat Hazel, a wee maid of four. 

Her blue eyes were bright, with surprise and delight, 
As she fluttered the leaves o’er and o’er. 

“Oh, mamma, see here! Oh! isn’t it queer? 

Here are wee little girlies, like I, 

With nothing to wear ’cepting wings; and see there! 
They are flying around in the sky.” 

“They are angels, dear child,” mamma said, with a 
smile; 

“They live with Our Father, in Heaven, 

Beyond the soft blue. To me and to you, 

Some day the same home will be given.” 

Later on in the day, out with Johnnie at play, 

She looks up with wonder-wide eyes, 

In the hazy blue sky the wild birds float by: 

“Oh, see all those angels!” she cries. 

Then Johnnie laughed out, with a whoop and a shout, 
“Oh, you are too funny for use! 

That’s a flock of wild geese,” said Johnnie, the tease, 
“And you are a little tame goose.” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 49 

Then impatient she grew, just as older folks do, 
When their beautiful dreams turn to dust. 

“They’d better just tend to their swimmin’, I fink,” 
Said the wee little maid, in disgust. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


WHY BABY LOOKS UP. 


OOKING for angels, Dorothy dear? 

- L ' Look for the angels hovering near; 

They will gaze with joy from the bright blue skies 
To look into Dorothy’s bright blue eyes; 

Angels so fair and wise and white, 

Clothed in their beautiful robes of light, 

Shall watch over Dorothy night and day, 

That Dorothy never may wander astray. 

Look for the angels, Dorothy love, 

Gaze on them, dearie, smiling above; 

They’ll beam on you, sweet, from the Far Away 
And know what you think hut cannot say; 

And they’ll make you beautiful, dearie—fair 
As the fairest of angel faces there; 

And you’ll join the throng some day and sing 
In the palace home of the Father King! 

—Rev. J. Pollock Hutchinson. 



CASTLE'S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


JINK’S CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT. 

BY CHARLES ABINGDON PHILLIPS. 


HEY’VE just had lots of trouble 
* ’Round our house this whole fall; 
And every one was busy— 

Didn’t look at me at all; 

Kept a talkin’ about money, 

Of a Pres’dent who should be 
Just the man the people wanted; 

But they missed it, seems to me. 


I guess we should say about it 
Just as much as bigger folk; 

An’ we want a nice big Pres’dent 
Who can laugh and play a joke: 

An’ if they’d consulted children, 

We’d all agreed, because, 

Though we’d a let the girls voted 
We’d all been for Santa Claus. 

An’ then Pd ’a been postmaster, 

An’ all the mail would be 

Some box, or pack, or somethin’, 

With some presents for us—See? 

So you big folks stop your shoutin’. 

And let us vote next time, too; 

Then we’ll all be better cared for— 

So I think—now, don’t you? 

*—In Rosebuds, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


HE DOESN’T LOOK LIKE ME. 

I ’VE got a brand new brother, 

* They say he looks like me; 

Why! Fd be ’shamed to see myself 
If I looked just like he. 

I think he looks like grandpa, 

He does, now, I declare; 

He’s wrinkled up, just like him, 

And hasn’t any hair. 

I’m ’fraid he’s got the measles, 

His face is drefful red. 

I think he needs hot catnip tea 
And wet rags on his head. 

There now! just hear him crying; 

He’s cross as he can be. 

He doesn’t look the leastest, 

Leastest little bit like me. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 

THE PIT. 

i C Y\7 HAT is nis funny, hard sing?” 

* ^ Said funny little Ned, 

“In ee midduh of my chewy, 

My chewy, so pitty an’ wed.” 

“That is the pit,” said mamma. 

“Oh es, now Neddie knows,” 

Said the funny little fellow, 

“Ee pit of it’s tummick, I ’pose.” 

—Harriet D. Castle, 



52 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“IN A MINUTE.” 


I_I AS anyone found “in a minute we will”? 

A * It’s the place that the children all know; 
When they’re going to get up betimes when they’: 
called, 

And to bed most willingly go. 

Run errands for mother; the baby will take; 

Stop reading when told to at night. 

When we find “in a minute” the mothers will rest. 
For children will always do right. 

—L. E. Chittenden, in Rosebuds. 


THE RACE. 


r P HE race was on! with voice and whip 
* Each rider urged his steed 
Around the track a score of times 
At most tremendous speed, 

And to the end my jockey’s horse 
Was always in the lead. 

My jockey rides his prancing steed 
With perfect ease and grace. 

My heart beats high with love for him, 

I watch his eager face; 

It wears a most determined look; 

He’s bound to win the race, 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


53 


With ringing voice he rushes on; 

The race is nearly run. 

The steed he rides strains every nerve; 

This work for him is fun. 

One more leap and then—hurrah! 

My jockey’s horse has won. 

My bright-faced boy, just three years old, 

Was that successful groom. 

The course whereon the race was run 
Was in the sitting room, 

And, strange to tell, the horse that won 
Was Mamma’s kitchen broom. 

—Thomas Holmes. 


NAUGHTY CLAUDE. 


\\7 HEN little Claude was naughty wunst 
* ^ At dinner time, an’ said 
He won’t say “Thank you” to his ma, 

She maked him go to bed 
An’ stay two hours, an’ not git up— 

So when the clock struck 2, 

Nen Claude says: “Thank you, Mr. Clock, 
I’m much obleeged to you!” 

—James Whitcomb Riley. 



54 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


MICKEY McGEE. 

f * A sure mes ^f is the fortunate b’y 
** As Christinas is cornin’ for you an’ for me; 

It’s thruly a big share o’ blessin’s have I 
At this blessed season/’ said Mickey McGee. 

“My shtockin’ I hung on the floor when ’twas night, 
An’ thin was ashlape like a log, in a minute. 

An’ whin I awoke wid the morn all alight. 

What would ye be guessin’ was soon found widin it? 

“The liveliest feet for a shkip or a run 

To carry a heart that’s as light as a feather, 

Along wid an eye for the beam o’ the sun, 

A share in the light an’ the wind an’ the weather. 

“A share in the gladness that comes wid the day, 

The peace an’ good-will that’s for you and for me. 

So over the land an’ far over the say 

To all merry Christmas,” said Mickey McGee. 

—Sydney Day re, Harper’s Round Table. 


A QUESTION OF PEDIGREE. 

a ]M OW who is that?” asked a dignified hen; 

1 N “That chicken in white and gray? 

She’s very well dressed, but from whence did she 
come? 

And her famity, who are they?” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


55 


“She never can move in our set, my dear,” 

Said the old hen's friend to her, later; 

“I've just found out—you'll be shocked to hear— 
She was hatched in an incubator!” 

—Harper's Round Table. 


IF I WAS MY MAMMA. 


T F I was my mamma, and mamma was I, 

1 I'd feed her on frost cake and nice lemon pie, 
'N not scare her by saying she'd get sick and die. 
I'd give her a penny whenever she'd ask; 

And never once give her a lesson or task. 

She should wear her best dresses around every day, 
And I'd never scold when she soiled them at play. 

I'd buy her new dollies, the beautiflest kind; 

And never would make her keep quiet and mind. 
I'd just let her talk when there's comp'ny, too, 
And stay up real late, just as older folks do. 

I'd be just as kind and p'lite as I could, 

And send her to grandma's when she wasn't good. 

[A thoughtful pause.] 

I s'pose she'd enjoy it; but then what if she 
Should grow up as' naughty and bad as could be ? 
'Twould worry and trouble me drelful, you see; 

So I guess I would treat her like mamma does me. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 



56 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Primary Class Recitations. 


JUST LIKE OUR PAPAS DO. 


[For six little boys.] 


[All.] 

\ \ J E are our papa’s little men 
’ v His followers stanch and true; 

And we can do most everything 
Just like our papas do. 

[Farmer with hoe; sleeves rolled up; overalls.] 

My papa is a farmer; 

He sows and plants and hoes; 

And I can sow and plant and hoe 
Just like my papa does. [Hoes.] 

[Baker.—Cap, apron, pan and spoon.] 

I’m the flower of the family, 

The baker’s little man; 

And I can stir you up a cake 
Good as my papa can. 

[Seats himself on floor. Stirs flour in pan.] 





CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


57 


[Soldier.—Paper cap, flag over shoulder.] 

My papa is a soldier, 

And when I am a man. 

I’ll make the Filipinos run 
Fast as my papa can. [Struts.] 

[Tailor.—With utensils for sewing.] 

My papa is a tailor, 

The man that gives you fits. 

Now don’t I look like papa? 

This is the way he sits. 

[Seats himself in tailor fashion; sews.] 

[Doctor.—With medicine case. Wears high hat and glasses.] 

My papa is a doctor, 

And gives folks bitter pills. 

What’s the matter with the baker? 

He’s looking very ill. 

[Takes out watch. Feels baker’s pulse.] 

[Sailor.—In sailor suit.] 

My papa is a sailor, 

And sails across the sea. 

Yes, my papa is a sailor, 

And a sailor I will be. 

[Unseen person calls, “Supper! supper!” Baker, doctor and 
tailor scramble to feet. All recite in concert:] 

Our mammas all get supper; 

Get good ones, I tell you! 

And we’ll go home and bolt them down, 

Just like our papas do. 


—H. D. Castle. 


58 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS. 


[For a gcodly number of small boys with soldier caps and toy 
guns. One carries a flag and another a drum. Play march while 
they march from the back of the room, or from some other room, 
and form upon the platform. After their speech they might march, 
in pretty figures, upon the platform before marching out.] 


E are a band of volunteers; 

* " We’re small, but we are keen, though; 
We’re going to help our Uncle Sam 
To fight the Filipinos. 


We’ve got a dandy lot of guns. 

You ought to hear my pa, sir; 

He says, “Before the campaign’s through, 
That we’ll be wanting maw-sirs.” 

It’s time that we were on the march; 

We have no time for talking; 

Before we reach the Philippines 
’Twill take a lot of walking. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 

MAMMA’S LITTLE MICE. 

[All.] 

M AMMA’S little, seven little, busy little mice 
(In braids or caps or curls); 

Mamma’s little, seven little, brave little mice 
(Seven little boys and girls). 

[Tim, armful of wood.] 

One little mouse is gray-coat Tim 
(Braids or caps or curls); 

Leave the woodpile all to him, 

(Seven little boys and girls). 





CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


59 


[Ledore, dust cap and broom.] 

One little mouse is staid Ledore 
(Braids or caps or curls); 

She can make a bed or sweep a floor 
(Seven little boys and girls). 


[Estelle, with bell.] 

One little mouse is deft Estelle 
(Braids or caps or curls); 

She sets the table and rings the bell 
(Seven little boys and girls). 


[Prue, with tea towel.] 

One little mouse is lightsome Prue 
(Braids or caps or curls); 

Here are the dishes for her to do 
(Seven little boys and girls). 

[Joe, hoe over shoulder.] 

One little mouse is field-mouse Joe 
(Braids or caps or curls); 

He handles the spade and swings the hoe 
(Seven little boys and girls). 

[Kit, with knitting.] 

One little mouse is comely Kit 
(Braids or caps or curls); 

She will sit and knit, while the others flit 
(Seven little hoys and girls). 

[Bib, in baby carriage.] 

[All.] 

One little mouse is Baby Bib 
(Braids or caps or curls); 


60 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


He coos and sings in his willow crib 
(Seven little boys and girls). 

Mamma’s little, seven little, busy little mice 
(In braids or caps or curls); 

Mamma’s little, seven little, brave little mice 
(Seven little boys and girls). 

—Mary E. Stone, in N. Y. Independent. 


SOW! SEW! SO! 

[Boy, motion of sowing grain.] 


T HIS is the way my father sows, 

* As up and down the field he goes, 
Walking fast or walking slow. 

Eight and left the grain to throw. 

Father knows, 

While he goes, 

That the grain thrown here and there 
By and by good crops will bear. 

All he loves will have a share 
If the grain he throws with care. 

So he throws, 

So he goes. 

Sow! Sow! Sow! 

[Little girl with sewing.] 

This is the way my mother sews 
As up and down long seams she goes. 
Working, singing soft and low, 

While she’s sitting there to sew. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


61 


Mother knows, 

As she sews, 

Jackets, trousers, aprons, too, 

Johnnie’s hat and baby’s shoe, 

Patching old, or making new, 

Love runs all the stitches through. 

This she knows, 

So she sews. 

Sew! Sew! Sew! 

[Smaller boy.] 

I can neither sow nor sew, 

When I’m big, I’ll learn then, though, 

But while little, as I grow, 

Little bits of love I’ll show. 

For I know, 

As I go, 

’Tending baby, calling Nan, 

Bunning errands like a man, 

Helping mother all I can, 

Love will grow where it began. 

Ah! I know, 

See, ’tis so. 

Little bits of love count up, 

Like drops of water in a cup. 

Fill it—so! 

’Twill overflow! 

So! So! So! 

—Eva Lovett, Youth’s Companion. 


62 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


SPRINGTIME. 


[Several boys w^h dandelions in buttonholes. Three little girls.] 


[First Girl.] 



With your new gold watches 
You make quite a show. 

[Second Girl.] 

You are more than dandies; 

Must be some great lions. 

Have your watches chains, too? (Examine watches.) 
Or do they just tie on? 

[Boys.] 

Ho, you girls are great ones, 

Making such a fuss. 

Guess you’re like the watches: 

They’re just “stuck on us.” 

[Third Girl.] 

Will you please to tell us. 

Gentlemen so gay, 

By your fine gold watches 
What’s the time of day? 

[Boys.] 

It’s spring time, it’s spring time. 

Learn this little thing, 

By our golden watches: 

It is always spring. 


—Harriet D. Castle. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


63 


EASTER JINGLES. 


THE POPCORN BALL. 

\ ■ 


[Several small children with string of popcorn about necks and 
holding popcorn balls behind them, come forward hippity hopping.] 


H 


OP, hop, pippity pop! 
So the colonels all 


Came out in white uniforms, 
Ready for the hall. 


[Hold up string of popcorn.] 

Sniff, sniff, sniffity sniff [ a ii sniff]; 

I smell something sweet. 

Lassies getting ready, s’pose, 

To make the ball complete. 


Trip, trip, skippity skip; 

Little children gay. 

“This is just the nicest hall [hold up bail] 

Ever was,” they say. 

[Hippity hop to. seats, eating popcorn balls.] 

—JIarriet D. Castle, 





64 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


MOTHER EARTH TO HER CHILDREN. 


[Recitation for small children and a larger girl. The children 
come forward as Mother Earth calls them, and group themselves 
about her, observing the harmony of color. Dresses may be made 
of tissue paper.] 


[Larger Girl.] 

JV/l OTHER EARTH was growing weary; 

^ * Her summer’s work was done; 

So she called her flower children 
And tucked them, every one, 

Underneath a soft white blanket. 

“I feel so tired and chill,” 

Said she, “I’ll take a nap myself, 

Or, really, I’ll he ill.” 

Through all the day she slumbered, and 
She slept through all the night; 

She slept through all the winter ’neath 
The blanket soft and white. 

The saucy South Wind came along 
And made her quite a scoff; 

“Wake up! my lazy dame,” said he. 

And pulled the blankets off. 

“Well, I declare!” said Mother Earth, 
Awaking in a jiff, 

“I must have overslept myself, 

I feel so cold and stiff.” 

Then April Shower brought a draught 
That made her feel like new, 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


65 


She called, with many a merry laugh, 
“Come, children, wake up, too! 

Ho! little grass, my good green grass, 
You’ve slept enough, I guess.” 

[Children in green come.] 

“We’re coming, coming, mother dear, 

To make your new spring dress.” 

Mother Earth: 

“Waken! daffodils and cowslips, 

And dandelions, too.” 

[Children in yellow come.] 

“We’re coming with a golden chain, 

Dear Mother Earth, for you.” 

Mother Earth: 

“Wake up! my modest violets, 

That always try to hide. 

The spring has come, ’tis time you had 
Your blue eyes open wide.” 

[Children in pale blue come.] 

“We always know the time to wake 
In our secluded spot. 

The Springtime whispers, when he goes, 
‘Good bye. Forget me not.’ ” 

Mother Earth: 

“And have my sweet Spring Beauties 
Been sleeping all this while?” 

[Children in pink come.] 

“We waited for our new spring suits. 

All in the latest style.” 


G6 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Mother Earth: 

“I hear my blue bells ringing 
The same old merry chime.” 

[Children in combination of blue and purple.] 

“We heard you calling, mother, 

And thought ’twas breakfast time. 
Your children, all, are coming, 

But you don’t need to wait; 

The roses and the asters, 

You know, are always late.” 

Mother Earth: 

“Well, breakfast is all ready; 

Warm sunshine, cups of dew; 

And then we must bestir ourselves, 
There’s work for me and you. 

The grass must put the carpets down, 
And you must strew them over 
With all the fairest flowers that blow, 
With roses and with clover. 

The trees are waiting for the leaves 
To hang their curtains up. 

But we shall work the better for 
A little bite and sup.” 


[All sing or speak. May be omitted if desired.] 

BREAKFAST OF THE FLOWERS. 


Don’t you hear the blue bells ringing? 

Breakfast time! breakfast time! 
Don’t you hear the birds all singing? 
Breakfast time! breakfast time! 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Waiting breezes ask us not 
If we’ll take it cold or hot; 

Ah! they are a fickle lot. 

Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

Don’t you hear the bees a-humming? 

Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

Song of welcome to our coming; 

Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

Though we have just wakened up, 
Will they know each little cup 
Holds for them the sweetest sup? 
Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

Mother Earth is calling, calling, 

Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

Don’t you hear the brook a-brawling? 
Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

Rain and sunshine, earth and air, 
Whisper to us everywhere, 

“Eat, and grow more sweet and fair.” 
Breakfast time! breakfast time! 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


A BABY CHAIN. 

[Several little tots, hold of hands.] 

H EIGHO, a baby chain! 

What do you think? 
Each little rosy-cheeked 
Lassie a link. 



CASTLE'S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Heigho, a baby chain! 

What do you think? 

Money can’t buy it, 

Not one bonnie link. 

Rubies and diamonds, 

What are they worth? 

Here is the costliest 
Chain upon earth. 

—Youth’s Companion. 


GODiG FOR THE DOCTOR. 


[Little Boy.] 

* < Y\7 AIT a bit, my little miss; 

v * What makes you walk so fast? 
You’ve got the day before you— 

The sky’s not overcast.” 

[Little Girl, with doll.] 

“I’m going to the doctor, sir. 

My darling doll is ill. 

She’s got a raging fever, sir; 

I guess she’s took a chill.” 

[Boy.] 

“Put bandages around her head, 

And mustard to her feet; 

And give her cambric tea to drink 
And not a thing to eat.” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


[Girl.] 

“I tried that hours ago, dear sir; 

The fever didn’t abate; 

And I lay all the trouble, sir, 

To pudding which she ate.” 

[Boy.] 

“What if the doctor isn’t in, 

Or doesn’t care to come, 

Or charges, as he often does, 

A most outrageous sum?” 

[Girl.] 

“Why, if he isn’t in I’ll wait! 

What if his charge be high! 

And do you think because of that 
I’d let my dollie die?” 

—Silver Star No. 7. 


EXPELLED. 


[An exercise for four girls and three boys.] 
Mary. 

[Comes on platform trundling large toy lamb.] 

C /W\ AEY had a little lamb,” 

So the old story goes. 

“It followed her to school one day,” 

As everybody knows. 

Baa-a-baa-a. 

As everybody knows. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Charlie. 

[Comes on platform with horn.] 

Charlie had a little horn 

That went the self-same route. 
Said he, “Fll show the boys at school, 
How jolly it can toot. 

[Toots horn.] 

How jolly it can toot.” 


Jennie. 

[Comes on platform leading small sister.] 

Jennie had a sister small, 

So very sweet and cute; 

To school she followed, though she knew 
That she ought not to do 9 t. 
Ha-ha-ha-ha, 

That she ought not to do T. 


Tommie. 

[Comes on platform carrying drum.] 

Tommie had a little drum. 

And, as it couldn't follow, 

He carried it to school to show 
How he could beat them hollow. 

[Beats drum.] 

How he could beat them hollow. 


Alice. 

[Comes on platform carrying large doll.] 

Alice had a big new doll, 

Nice as you ever saw. 

Said she, “The girls would like to hear 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


71 


How she can say ‘Mama/ ” 

“Mama, mama/’ 

How she can say “Mama.” 

Johnnie. 

[Comes on platform leading small dog.] 

Johnnie had a little dog; 

It followed him to school. 

He whistled for it, though he knew 
“It was against the rule. 

(Whistles.) 

It was against the rule.” 

Teacher. 

[Larger girl with glasses, apron and switch.] 

The teacher had a dreadful day! 

The lessons were not learned; 

With sheep, doll, baby, dog and horn, 
The children’s heads were turned. 
Dear me! dear me! 

The children’s heads were turned. 

Children. [All together.] 

Mary—Baa-a baa-a! 

Charlie—Toots horn. 

Jennie—Ha-ha ha-ha! 

J ohnnie—Whistles. 

Tommie—Beats drum. 

Alice—Mama, mama! 

Teacher. [Hands to head.] 

Dear me! dear me! 


72 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

[The teacher’s head is turned.] 

Children. [In concert.] 

It made the children laugh and play 
To see them all, no doubt; 

So, very sorrowful to say, 

The teacher turned them out. 

Boo-hoo! boo-hoo! 

The teacher turned them out. 

[Knuckles and handkerchiefs to eyes. Repeat last two lines 
several times while passing from platform. Teacher follows, flour¬ 
ishing switch.] 


OPINIONS. 


[Little girl with hand on door-knob as if about to enter door; 
doll across the other arm. Little boy with bat across shoulder and 
ball in the other hand. View each other askance.] 


Ralph’s: 

I WISH that girl had been a boy! 

1 I hoped a boy would move next door, 
For girls are always prim and neat; 

I know she’ll be a bore! 

She will not want to wade or run, 

She’ll never, never catch a ball, 

Nor climb a tree, nor fly a kite— 

Girls are no fun at all! 

Winifred’s: 

Oh, I’m so sorry he’s a boy! 

Two girls could have such splendid times 
At sewing doll-clothes, playing tea, 





CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


73 


Or reading tales and rhymes. 

Of course he’ll hit me with his ball, 

And make a dreadful lot of noise. 

And play at soldiers' all day long— 

There is no fun in hoys! 

—Marion Beatty, Youth’s Companion. 


GOOD NIGHT. 


[By a class representing the smaller members of a family. 
Might be used for a closing piece. Children rub eyes with knuckles 
and handkerchiefs.] 

Y\T E don’t want to go to bed, 

* * So we don’t! so we don’t! 

We won’t ’buse our children so, 

No we won’t, no we won’t. 

Brought a pan of apples up, 

Nice and sweet, nice and sweet; 

Brother Ned is cracking nuts; 

Then they’ll eat, then they’ll eat. 

When the fun is just begun 

Clock says “Eight!” clock says “Eight! 

Little folks to bed must run. 

Getting late, getting late.” 

Sorrowful, we children small, 

So polite, so polite; 

’S if we weren’t cross at all, 

Say good-night, say good-night. (Bow.) 

—H. D. Castle. 





74 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


FITE LITTLE BOYS. 


Joe. 

T T> be a fifer on the Fourth, 

* And lead the martial band; 
To march through town, 
All up and down, 

And play on every hand. 


Horace. 

Fd like to be a G. A. R., 
With uniform so blue; 

And sword of might. 
And bayonet bright, 
And soldier’s knapsack, too. 


Theodore. 

I’d rather be a marshal, 

And ride a prancing horse, 

Fd take the lead 
With my fine steed, 

And wear a badge, of course. 

Harry. 

Oh, I would be an orator. 

And where the crowd could see 
Fd stand up high 
On the Fourth of July, 
And talk of liberty. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


75 


Roy. 

Well, I would be just what I am, 
A boy among the boys; 

And go it strong 
The whole day long, 

With flags and fun and noise. 


DOING THEIR BEST. 


[Five Boys.] 


[Five ways of constructing nests.] 



ITH a sharp eye for business, 


Y Y “Great pains I will take,” 
Said the hawk, “to build platforms— 
A fortune I’ll make!” 

“I’ll make a good weaver,” 

The oriole said, 

“And weave for my children 
A high swinging bed.” 

“I canT be a weaver, 

That plainly I see,” 

Mused the robin, then chuckled— 
“A mason Fll be.” 

Said the modest bank swallow: 

“A miner am I, 

So I’ll dig a cave palace, 

High, roomy and dry.” 




76 


CASTLE S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS* 

‘Til make,” said the woodpecker, 

“A carpenter good— 

I can earn my living 
By working in wood!” 

[All.] 

How many can tell us 
What lesson we learn 
From these feathered workmen ?- 
*Tis plain to discern. 

—Adelbert F. Caldwell. 


BABY QUARTET. 


[Take the smallest children who are able to sing. Make them 
look as infantile as possible. Dress in long dresses and cover hair 
with pretty frilled caps. Seat them side by side, in little high 
chairs. Let them keep time,- with rattles, while they sing. Negro 
babies would be cute, and bright red sashes would be an addition 
their toilet.] 


Lullaby. 

NT OW the sun has gone to sleep, 
* ^ In the tree-tops high; 
Branches rock him, to and fro. 
Singing lullaby. 


Chorus. 

[Horizontal movement of rattles while singing chorus.] 

To and fro, soft and low. 

Singing lullaby. 

Singing lullaby. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


77 


Little flowers have gone to sleep 
In the dewy grass; 

Breezes rock them to and fro, 

Rock them as they pass. 

Chorus. 

By lo, baby, go to sleep, 

Little sleepy eyes; 

Mamma sings it, soft and sweet, 

By lo, baby, by. 

Chorus. 

[Let the movement of music and rattles grow slower and little 
heads nod while singing last chorus. See that the sleeping atti¬ 
tudes are graceful. Let the accompanist still continue to play 
lullaby, softly. Burn red light.] 


78 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Recitations and Exercises for Intermediate 
Grade. 


WE ARE TWELVE. 

T SAW two brownies, in a dream 
* I had, last eventide: 

The funny figures stood, demure 
And silent, side by side. 

One little elf was tall and slim 
And stood up straight with ease; 
The other had a curly head 
And stood upon its knees. 

When I asked the funny figures 
To introduce themselves, 

They answered, with a courtesy, 

“Oh, mistress, we are twelve!” 

[Let speaker write “12” on blackboard.] 

I took the curly-headed one, 

And stood her on my right; 

[Erase “12” and place “2” on right.] 

Then stood the slim one on my left,— 

[Place “1” on left.] 

It gave them quite a fright. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


79 


Then I said to them, quite sternly, 

[Point to “1” and “2.”] 

“You’re One; and you are Two,— 

And all the wise men in the world 
Will say the same to you. 

“What shall I do with little folks 
Who won’t behave themselves?” 

[Erase “1” quickly and place on left of “2.”] 

They rushed into each other’s arms 
And answered, “We are Twelve!” 

[Erase “1” and place above “2.” Point.—Speak sternly.] 


You are a One, and you a Two,— 
As any one can see; 

And it is also evident 

That One and Two make three. 

[Draw line and write amount beneath—3.] 


But the funny little figures 
Were stubborn as could he; 

[Erase and write "12.”] 

They jumped down, side bv side again. 
And said, “Nay, Twelve are we!” 

Their stubbornness amused me, 

And, to prolong the fun, 

[Erase "1” and place on right of “2.”] 

I placed the slim one on the right 
And called them Twenty-one. 


30 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


[Erase “1” and place left of “2.”] 

One turned a backward somersault, 

As quick as any wink, 

And answered, somewhat saucily, 

“Now we are Twelve! I think.” 

“Is curly head your wife?” I said, 

“Your sister? or your cousin? 

And Fve another name for you,— 

You surely are a Dozen.” 

Upon her knee Two begged of me 
“To vex them nevermore.” 

One looked so slim, and sad and thin, 

In mercy I forbore. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


A MESSAGE TO BOYS. 

BY ROBERT J. BURDETTE. 

My boy, the first thing you want to learn—if you 
haven’t learned how to do it already—is to tell the 
truth. The pure, sweet, refreshing, wholesome truth. 
The plain, unvarnished, simple, every-day, manly 
truth, with a little “t.” 

For one thing, it will save you so much trouble. 
Oh, heaps of trouble! And no end of hard work! 

And then, it is so foolish for you to lie. You can¬ 
not pass a lie off for the truth, any more than you 
can get counterfeit money into circulation. The lead- 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


81 


en dollar is always detected before it goes very far. 
When you tell a lie it is known. Yes, you say, “God 
knows it.” That’s right; hut He is not the only one. 
So far as God’s knowledge is concerned, the liar 
doesn’t care very much. He doesn’t worry about 
what God knows—if he did, he wouldn’t be a liar;- 
but it does worry a man or boy who tells lies to think 
that everybody else knows it. The other boys know 
it; your teacher knows it; people who hear you tell 
“whoppers” know it; your mother knows it, but she 
won’t say so. And all the people know it, and don’t 
say anything about it to you, talk about it to each 
other, and—dear! the things they say about a boy who 
is given to telling big stories! If he could only hear 
them, it would make him stick to the truth like flour 
to a miller. 

And finally, if you tell the truth always, I don’t see 
how you are going to get very far out of the right 
way. And people trust a truthful boy. We never 
worry about him when he is out of our sight. We 
never say, “I wonder where he is! I wish I knew 
what he is doing! I wonder whom he is with. I won¬ 
der why he doesn’t come home!” Nothing of the sort. 
We know he is all right, and that when he comes 
home we will know all about it and get it straight. 
We don’t have to ask him where he is going and how 
long he will be gone every time he leaves the house. 
We don’t have to call him back and make him “sol¬ 
emnly promise” the same thing over and over two 
or three times. When he says, “Yes, I will,” or ‘ No, I 
won’t,” just once, that settles it. We don’t have to 


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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


cross-examine him when he comes home to find out 
where he has been. He tells us once, and that is 
enough. We don’t have to say, “Sure? Are you sure 
now?” when he tells anything. 

But, my boy, you can’t build up that reputation by 
• merely telling the truth about half the time, nor two- 
thirds, nor three-fourths, nor nine-tenths of the time; 
but all the time. If it brings punishment upon you 
while the liars escape; if it brings you into present 
disgrace while the smooth-tongued liars are exalted; 
if it loses you a good position; if it degrades you in the 
class; if it stops a week’s pay—no matter what pun¬ 
ishment it may bring upon you, tell the truth.— 
Selected. 


MAKE A PRESENT TO YOURSELF. 

BY SAM WALTER FOSS, 

Author of “Dreams in Homespun,” etc. 


IVE your wife a handsome dress, 
Give Irene a doll, 

Give your boy a sled and skates, 
They deserve them all; 

Pile your gifts on every shelf. 

Fill up every tray, 

But- 

Make a present to yourself 
Now on Christmas Day: 

Man of great or little pelf, 

Make a present to yourself. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


33 


Give yourself a better heart 
On an ampler plan,' 

Full of blessedness and hope, 
Full of love to man. 

Give to Bob and Sue their part, 
Give to Dick and May, 

But- 

Give yourself a better heart 
Now on Christmas Day: 

Man of great or little pelf, 

Make this present to yourself. 

Give yourself a better soul, 
Tuned to higher strains 
Than the discords of the mart 
And inglorious gains. 

Give to each a generous dole, 
Bess and Tom and Kay, 

But- 

Give yourself a better soul 
Now on Christmas Day: 

Man of great or little pelf, 

Make this present to yourself. 

Give yourself a better life, 

Fed from deeper springs, 

Fed from the eternal Fount, 

Soul and source of things. 

Give to friend and child and wife 
All the gifts you may, 

But- 





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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Give yourself a better life 
Now on Christmas Day: 

Man of great or little pelf, 

Make this present to yourself. 

—Golden Rule. 


WHEN MOTHER FEEDS THE CHICKENS. 

WHILE before the sun has rose, 



’N’ father builds the kitchen fire, 
Our big black rooster crows ’n’ crows, 

’Z if his neck would never tire; 

’N’en we get up ’n’ feed the stock 
’N’ water Fannie, ’n’ milk the cows, 

’N’ fix a gate er broken lock; 

’N’en after breakfas’ father plows 


’N’ mother feeds the chickens. 


The pancakes Wallie wouldn’t eat 
’N’ cornbread left on Marjorie’s plate; 

A scrap of toast, a bit of meat, 

’N’ all the stuff what no one ate, 

She puts it in that wornout tin, 

Throws out some grain, ’n’ pretty quick 
She hollers nearly’s loud’s she kin, 

“Come chick! chick! chick! chick! chick! chick! 


chick”— 

So—when she feeds the chickens. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


85 


You’d ought to see old Top-Knot run, 

’N’ Banty hop—he’s hurt one leg— 

’N’ Plymouth Rock (the higges’ one— 

She lays a ’normous monstrus egg)— 

’N’en Speckle, with her new-hatched brood, 
A-cluckin’ to ’em’s hard’s she kin, 

’N’ showin’ ’em the nices’ food— 

She gets it fer ’em out the tin, 

’N’ pecks the other chickens. 

Old Gray, our cat, comes snoopin’ roun’ 

’N’ slyly peeks from hind the stoop; 

’F any meat’s there he is boun’ 

’T shan’t go to the chicken coop. 

Now filled with all an owner’s pride, 

Wee Willie comes with wondering eyes, 

That look so brown ’n’ bright ’n’ wide; 

He loves to watch ’em, ’n’ he cries— 

“’Des see my baby tickens!” 

I love to ride the colt a lot, 

’N’ go fer berries to the patch; 

I love to see our dog ’n’ Spot 
Get in a turble scrappin’ match; 

’N’ tho’ its kind-a quiet fun; 

I like it nearly best of all; 

That’s why I alius cut ’n’ run 
To see’m ’f I hear the call— 

“Come chick! chick! chick! chick! chick! chick! 
chick!”— 

When mother feeds the chickens. 

—Will L. Davis. 


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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


THE BEGINNING. 

HENCE came the river, so strong and clear, 

* * That waters the meadows far and near? 
From a clear little spring, 

Like a lustrous pearl, 

Where the mosses cling, 

And the fern-leaves curl, 

On the hilltop’s height 
Bubbling up so bright, 

Fed by mountain rain, 

Without taint, without stain. 

Whence came our Washington, good and grand, 
Whose name is honored in every land? 

From a stainless youth; 

From the upright ways, 

From the strength and truth, 

Of his early days; 

From a boyhood true, 

Pure as mountain dew, 

As unsullied a thing 
As the clear hilltop spring. 

—Persis Gardiner. 


CASTLE’S school entertainments. 


87 


THE TOWN OF NOGOOD. 


1WI Y friend, have you heard of the town Nogood 
* * On the banks of the river Slow, 

Where blooms the Waitawhile flower fair, 

Where the Sometimeorother scents the air, 

And the soft Goeasys grow? 

It dies in the valley of Whatstheuse, 

In the province of Letitslide; 

That tired feeling is native there, 

It’s the home of the reckless Idontcare, 

Where the Giveitups abide. 

It stands at the bottom of Lazy Hill, 

And is easy to reach, I declare; 

You’ve only to hold up your hands and glide 
Down the slope of Weakwill’s toboggan slide 
To he landed quickly there. 

The town is as old as the human race, 

And it grows with the flight of years, 

It is wrapped in the fog of idlers’ dreams 
Its streets are paved with discarded schemes 
And sprinkled with useless tears. 

The Collegebred fool and the Eichman’s heir 
Are plentiful there, no doubt; 

The rest of its crowd are a motley crew 
With every class but one in view— 

The foolkiller is barred out. 


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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


The town of Nogood is all hedged about 
By the Mountains of Despair, 

No sentinel stands on its gloomy walls. 

No trumpet to battle and triumph calls. 

For cowards alone are there. 

My friend from the deadalive town of Nogood, 
If you would keep far away, 

Just follow your duty through good and ill; 
Take this for your motto, “I can, I will!” 

And live up to it each day. 


—Wm. E. Penny. 


CONCEIT, 


LITTLE dog barked at the big, round moon 



That smiled in the evening sky, 

And the neighbors smote him with rocks and shoon; 
But still he continued his rageful tune. 

And he barked until his throat was dry. 

The little dog bounced like a rubber ball, 

For his anger quite drove him wild; 

And he said: “I’m a terror, although I am small, 
And I dare you, you impudent fellow, to fall.” 

But the moon only smiled and smiled. 

Then the little dog barked at a terrible rate. 

But he challenged the moon in vain, 

For as calmly and slow as the workings of fate 
The moon moved along in a manner sedate 
And smiled at the dog in disdain. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


But socn ’neath a hill that obstructed the west 
The moon sank out of sight, 

And it smiled as it slowly dropped under the crest, 
But the little dog said, as he lay down to rest: 
“Well, I scared it away all right.” 

—Puck. 


WHEN HARD TIMES CALLED AT OUR HOUSE. 

L_T ARD Times, one dark and dismal day, 

* Came knocking at our door; 

Upon our happy family, 

He ne’er had called before. 

Quick sprang the father to the door,— 

And stern and white his face, 

As, with his strong right hand, he shot 
The bolts and bars in place. 

“Your blighting breath shall never reach 
My children, home and wife; 

Your clammy touch shall never chill; 

I’ll guard them with my life!” 

Then bravely spake the eldest son, 

“This stranger seems to be 

Like Death, a never welcome guest. 

With cruel, stern decree. 

“Don’t try to brave him all alone. 

Heroic, tender father. 

We’ll do a braver, better thing,— 

We’ll meet him all together.” 



90 


CASTLES SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“Just let me have a look at him,” 

Said merry Sister Nell. 

And, as she peeped, she saw his hand 
Had fallen from the bell. 

“He doesn’t look so dreadful bad, 

Though rather worn and plain.” 

Then Hard Times smiled at brave, bright face 
Against the window pane. 

Then spake the gentle mother’s voice, 

“He is a Heaven sent guest, 

And shall we doubt one moment that 
Our Father knoweth best? 

“He knows our every hope and care, 

Considers all our needs: 

We’ll place our hand in His, nor fear 
To follow where He leads.” 

Though tears were on the father’s cheek 
His face was like the dawn. 

He threw the portals open wide— 

And lo! Hard Times had gone. 

—Harriet E). Castle. 


AN ARBOR-DAY THOUGHT. 

n EAR little hands so soft and small, 
^ That set with loving care 
Beside the little schoolhouse wall 
These saplings brown and bare; 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


That plant them hy the roadside, too, 

And all along the dusty way, 

What loving thoughts will follow you 
For what you do to-day! 

The traveler in the burning heat 
Will thank the hands that made, 

Above the dry and sultry street, 

A green and pleasant shade. 

Beneath these maples and these oaks 
The children of a coming year 
Will dream about the. little folks 
That set those old trees here. 

The squirrel, chuckling all the way. 

Will frisk the branches through, 

The robin on the topmost spray 
Will sing a song of you; 

And all the tall and stately trees, 

Each gently bowing as it stands, 

Will murmur in the merry breeze, 

“Thanks to the. little hands!” 

—E. H. T., Youth’s Companion. 


THREE WORTHY WORDS. 

JV/I Y lad, three lessons would I write, 

1 Y 1 Three words upon your heart engrave, 
Through all your life, to guide you right— 

Be true, he kind, he hrave. 



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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Be TRUE, whatever may betide; 

Speak, dct the truth at any cost; 

Of little worth is all beside, 

If trust in you be lost. 

Be KIND, another’s feelings heed; 

Slight no occasion you may find 
For gentle word and loving deed; 

’Tis noble to be kind. 

Be BRAVE, with courage true and strong; 

Mind neither ridicule nor sneer; 

To dare to do the weak a wrong 
But proves the basest fear. 

If you, my lad, these lessons three, 

These simple words, your motto make, 

Esteem and honor yours shall be. 

With fortune in their wake. 

—Philip Burroughs Strong, in Golden Days. 


THE SUN AND THE WIND. 


[Modern Aesop.] 

Y\7 HEN the Easterly Wind and the hot Summer 
VV Sun 

Were walking together one day, just for fun. 

They met, on their way, with a Traveler bold, 

Who walked gayly on, spite of wind, rain, or cold. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


93 


“Just look at that fellow!” the Wind quickly said; 
“I’ll wager I’ll soon make him bend his proud head.” 
But the Sun interposed: “We have tried this before, 
When I proved that my power equaled yours, and 
much more. 

“Let me rather try, and I’ll venture to say, 

The cloak that he wears he will soon throw away; 
Whereas, if you rudely insist on your right, 

You will find he will surely hold on to it tight.” 

So saying, the Sun gave a beautiful smile, 

And smiled, and continued to smile all the while; 
But the Traveler seemingly suffered no harm, 

But said, “This is genial, and pleasant, and warm.” 

The Sun now began in a furious way, 

To send beam after beam, and then ray upon ray; 
But the Traveler apparently minded them not. 

For he simply remarked: “Ain’t it lovely and hot?” 

The Sun gave it up in despair and disgust; 

The Wind then remarked: “I suppose, if I must, 

I still may succeed in the point where you failed.” 
Then he blew such a blast that the Traveler quailed. 

He blew down his neck, and he blew in his boots; 

He blew till his hair was torn out by the roots; 

He blew till the cloak was all tattered and torn, 

And the Traveler wished he had never been born. 


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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


With some kinds of people it certainly pays 
To adopt easy methods, and smooth, pleasant ways, 
But others there are who will never give way 
Till force and decision are brought into play. 

—Robert S. Talcott, in Golden Days. 


JOHN PAUL JONES, HERO. 

Y\J HAT’S in a name? Honor and fame 
Y ’ Care naught for empty sound. 
Attached to humble cognomen 
Grand records oft are found; 

Which brings to mind one humble name 
Once known in several zones, 

A name where honor rests for aye— 

The name of John Paul Jones. 

When first he saw the light of day 
In Scotland’s fair domain 
He lacked a name; the one they gave 
Was John—most mortal plain— 

But still as John he throve and grew, 

And every one now owns 
That deeds of valor can exalt 
E’en such a name as Jones. 

To freedom’s shore came humble John, 
And on Virginia’s soil 
He settled down to hum-drum life, 

To earnest, honest toil, 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


95 


With hoe and spade his bread he made 
Amid Virginia’s stones, 

And soon was known for miles around 
As honest farmer Jones. 

But ’neath his cocked hat was a brain 
(Likewise pigtail and cue), 

And ’neath the breast of his long coat 
A heart beat warm and true; 

And when his country called for men 
In urgent, eager tones, 

One of the foremost to respond 
Was “Farmer” John Paul Jones. 

He sailed the main and mainly sailed 
Where British vessels lurked, 

Though oft outnumbered he ne’er fled, 

Nor ever battle shirked; 

And humble though his name, his deeds 
Moved those who sat on thrones, 

And hearts of kings quaked when they heard 
The name of John Paul Jones. 

’Tis useless to recount his deeds, 

The world remembers still 
How this intrepid sailor worked 
The British navy ill. 

We read his history with pride, 

For all the world now owns 
That true nobility attached 
Itself to John Paul Jones. 


96 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


What’s in a name? Naught but the deeds 
That are attached thereto. 

Our hero honest was and brave— 

Was loyal, valiant, true; 

So honor to his name belongs, 

And kind fate thus atones 
For giving to him such a name 
As that of John Paul Jones. 

—Arthur J. Burdick. 


THE CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN. 

BY NIXON WATERMAN. 

I T is simply a matter of dress, I say; 

And the feminine half of the race, to-day, 
Might hold, in our history, just as great 
A place as the lords of high estate, 

Had they been permitted to wear the clothes 
And follow the selfsame styles of those 
Who, having been born of the opposite sex, 

Had never a worry their mind to vex. 

Had Columbus and all of his valiant crew 
Worn hats that the ladies of our times do, 

They wouldn’t have sailed in those damp, old ships, 
’T would have taken the curl from their ostrich tips. 
And I’m more than delighted brave Paul Revere 
Didn’t say on that night when the foe drew nea^, 
“I’d like to warn all the folks, I declare, 

But I haven’t a thing that is fit to wear!” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


97 


Had Wellington dared but five minutes to wait. 

In trying to fasten his hat on straight, 

(While Napoleon’s hurrying forces came,) 

He wouldn’t have climbed to the heights of fame. 
And had Washington lingered to “frizzle” his hair 
The night that he ferried the Delaware, 

He couldn’t have gotten his army away 

Till the British had gobbled them up next day. 

And so, I say, in the race of life, 

The woman has more than her share of strife, 

And man would find’t would be hard to gain 
The prize if he had to manage a train, 

A shopping-bag and a parasol, 

And high-heeled shoes a size too small-^- 
0 me, 0 my! Why, he’d have a fit, 

And he’d never, no, never! come out of it. 

—L. A. W. Bulletin. 


DE SHERMAN FROW. 

DR. W. A. WOODWARD. 

T AM von Sherman farmer’s frow, 

* I feed de peeks and milks der cow, 
I feeds my man mit tings dat’s goot, 

I build de fire and chops der wood; 
Yet all deey long from morn til night 
He trink him peer and smoke him pipe. 



98 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


I digs der garten mit my foots, 

I sows de seeds and plants der roots, 

I bring der vater from the spring, 

I vash up all him dirty tings; 

Yet all deey long from morn til night 
He trink him peer and smoke him pipe. 

I feeds de cattle in the stall, 

I house de lambs yen dey are small, 

And throe the snow on winter’s day 
I feed de stock mit grain and hay; 

Still all deey long from morn til night 
He trink him peer and smoke him pipe. 

I tells my maidens, if da can, 

To find von sober, working man. 

Who vorks der farm and does de chores 
And looks to all tings out of doors; 

Who lubs him frow an call her dear 
And smoke no pipe and trink no peer. 


—Iowa Homestead. 


THINGS TO SEE, 



HERE have you been, and what did you see, 


v Y This sunny October day? 
And why do you look so very wise, 


0 little boy Dick, and May?” 



O if -3 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


99 


“We’ve seen such a lot . of curious things— 

A squirrel trying to fly! 

And he did it, too, ’way over the brook, 

From the walnut-tree so high. 

"A chickadee hung by his toes, head down— 
You’ll hardly believe it’s true! 

But his cap stayed on! Dick said it was stuck 
With a liat pin, perhaps, or glue. 

“An owl looking out of his dungeon dark 
In a hollow apple-tree, 

Just spying his neighbors with blinking eyes, 
And pretending he couldn’t see. 

“A woodmouse playing at hide-and-seek 
With a squirrel in striped coat; 

Some froggies, tired of leap-frog’s charm, 
Were sailing a peapod boat. 

“A blue jay hiding his winter corn, 

And watched by a squirrel red; 

A woodpecker making a nice round door 
In Farmer Hackett’s shed. 

“A cricket under a maple leaf 
Playing the fiddle slow— 

When it gets so late, then his toes get numb; 
His leg is his bow, you know. 

“A thistle dressed in his winter furs; 

Some little wee birds at play; 


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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


And Bunny Rabbit behind a fern, 

All ready to run away. 

“Now four bright eyes, if they’re opened wide, 
Find plenty of things to see, 

When you hear what Mamiekins told to me, 

I am sure you will quite agree.” 


—Wm. J. Long. 


THE LAND OF CHANCE. 

HILDREN, did you ever glance 



^ At the lucky land of chance, 
Where all things are regulated 
By the merest circumstance? 

Now, for instance, people there 
Toss their garments anywhere, 

And, if chance they thus mislay them. 
Growl and claim, “It isn’t fair!” 

Why, I’ve heard it said that they 
Shirk their work from day to day, 
Trusting to good luck to help them 
Chance to find an easy way. 

It’s a topsy-turvy land, 

For, of course, you understand, 

Every little thing, “just happens,” 
And is never, never planned! 

Many boys and girls, I guess, 

Must have lived there more or less, 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


101 


Judging by their careless habits— 
Pretty bad, we must confess! 

Chance is not a thing to trust; 

To achieve success you must 

Plan and work with will and method— 

As some say, “Get up and dust!” 


A STRIKE IN THE KITCHEN. 



HE work in the kitchen was done for the day, 


1 Teakettle and range in shining array. 

The pots and the kettles hung neatly away; 

The newly-scrubbed floor looked spotlessly white 
As it lay in a flood of silvery moonlight. 

The old-fashioned clock in the corner ticked slow, 
Reminding that moments will come and will go. 

The shadows were stretching themselves for a wink 
When there came from the cupboard, just under the 
sink, 

Where kettles and spiders hung in a neat row, 

A voice of complaining and muttering low. 

“I want a vacation!” said old Mrs. Spider; 

“And I want one, too!” said the skillet, beside her; 
“And I want one, too!” said the big dinner pot, 

“In dog days my work is insufferably hot.” 

“Mine too!” said the gridiron, “I thought I should 


And the flatirons said they were weary of toil. 

Then the teakettle spoke, from its place on the range, 
“I, too, am weary and sighing for change. 



i02 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


You couldn’t imagine at all, I suppose, 

What I suffer from that dreadful boil in my nose.” 
Then the range wakened up and sadly complained, 

“I feel, if my manner of life isn’t changed, 

There is danger, indeed, of my going deranged.” 
“Let’s strike!” said the poker, “I’ve no chance to 
play. 

Let’s show them a trick. Let’s strike, right away!” 
A gentle voice came from the old fashioned clock, 
“Your rashness, friends, gives me a terrible shock. 
To the voice of experience, listen, I pray! 

You know that I strike every hour in the day.” 
“That’s so!” said the poker, “That’s so! so you do; 
And not one of us is looked up to like you.” 

Cross the face of the clock a swift shadow came, 

“I struck wrong once, my friends, I say it with shame; 
The dear little children were all late at school, 

And counted imperfect, as that was the rule; 

The dinner was late, and that made people cross; 

Mr. S-missed the train and suffered a loss; 

I can’t tell you all, it would take me too long, 

Of the sad things that happened because I struck 
wrong, 

Now, if you must strike, be sure you are right, 

Not just discontented; then strike with your might.” 
The hands of the clock, with the tenderest grace, 
Chased the shadows of care from its pleasant old face. 
All quiet; the shadows stretched out for the night, 
While the old clock ticked softly, “Be sure you are 
right.” 


—Harriet D. Castle. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


103 


A CHARM THAT AVAILS. 

*'TAYAS a poor little fellow, in prospects and purse, 
* Who made the occasion for this bit of verse, 
But he faced the great world with bravest intent, 
Though his clothes were disfigured by many a rent, 
And his courage, as forth to the city fared he, 

In search of a fortune was charming to see; 

And these words to a light-hearted carol he set: 
“Don’t flurry, don’t worry, don’t grumble, don’t fret!” 

Now a bird in a tree standing stately and high 
Had trilled him the song as he gayly trudged by, 

And over and over, with cheering refrain, 

The words kept repeating themselves in his brain 
Until, to his fancy, a wise charm they seemed 
To bring the good fortune of which he had dreamed. 
And in the great city he could not forget: 

“Don’t flurry, don’t worry, don’t grumble, don't fret!” 

Years passed and that boy now to manhood has 
grown, 

While joy and good fortune have long been his own; 
For the song which the bird sang a charm proved 
indeed, 

Most potent—with labor—to fill every need. 

And the man wonders now, in his life’s busy round, 
As he thinks of the trials and triumphs he found, 

If the bird of the treetop is singing there yet: 
“Don’t flurry, don’t worry, don’t grumble, don’t fret!" 

—Ethel Maude Colson, Chicago Record. 


104 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


WHO KNOWS ? 

S OMEWHERE in the length and breadth of onr 
land. 

Our president—one-day-to-be— 

Plays “leap-frog” and “tag,” with some lad whom 
the world 

Will yet a great orator see; 

For every swift hour that’s speeding away, 

Is helping to make the great men of some day! 

In various nooks ’neath our star-spangled flag, 

Our future wise senators sit. 

In session ’round histories, grammars and slates. 

With studious brows roughly knit; 

And hearts all unconscious that they are to be 
Bright stars in America’s proud destiny! 

Now, laddie, who knows but that you may be one 
Of our country’s brave, valiant men— 

Its chief, or a maker of laws, or a son 
Who’ll bring glory by saber or pen? 

A name may be yours wdiich to ends of the earth 
Will shine like a star o’er the land of your birth! 

Who knows? So, my lad, train your energies now, 
For what they may yet have to do. 

Be thorough! Let nothing be only half-done— 

Say nothing half-honest, half-true! 

Serve well in small things, howe’er humble their state, 
And then you’ll be fitted to govern the great! 

—Golden Days. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


105 


THE FIRST TANGLE. 


f^VNCE in an Eastern palace wide 
A little girl sat weaving, 

So patiently her task she plied, 

The men and women at her side 

Flocked round her, almost grieving. 

“How is it, little one,” they said, 

“You always work so cheerily? 

You never seem to break your thread. 
Or snarl and tangle it instead 
Of working smooth and clearly. 

“Our weaving gets so torn and soiled, 
Our silk so frayed and broken; 

For all we’ve fretted, wept, and toiled, 
We know the lovely pattern’s spoiled 
Before the King has spoken.” 

The little child looked in their eyes. 

So full of care and trouble; 

And pity chased the sweet surprise 
That filled her own, as sometimes flies 
The rainbow in a bubble. 

“I only go and tell the King,” 

She said, abashed and meekly, 

“You know, He said in everything—” 
“Why, so do we,” they cried, “we bring 
Him all our troubles weekly!” 


106 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


She turned her little head aside, 

A moment let them wrangle; 

“Ah, hut,” she softly then replied, 

“I go and get the knot untied 
At the first little tangle!” 

0 little children—weavers all! 

Our ’broidery we spangle 
With many a tear that need not fall, 
If on our King we would but call 
At the first little tangle! 


QUARTER TO NINE. 

OING down the grassy lane the other day, 
First I met a merry little bumble-bee; 

He was humming in a very jolly way, 

So I said, “Your errand, prithee, tell to me.” 
“Going to the lilac-tree,” 

Said the jolly humble-bee, 

“Where there’s honey stored for me;” 
And he bumble-bumble-bumbled on his way. 

Then a little bird I saw upon a spray. 

Singing demi-semi-quavers full of glee; 

He so added to the brightness of the day, 

That I said, “Your business, prithee, tell to me.” 
“Going to the apple-tree,” 

Said the little bird to me, 

“There to feed my nestlings three;” 

And he twitter-twitter-twittered on his way. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


107 


Rippling o’er his pebbly bed in merry play, 
Next I met a little brooklet, glad and free; 
And he whispered in a very funny way, 

So I said, “Your secret, prithee, tell to me.” 


“Oh, I’m going to the sea,” 

Said the streamlet, glad and free. 
“Back in rain I soon will be;” 


And he gurgle-gurgle-gurgled on his way. 

I had gone a little farther on my way. 

When I met a weeping laddie, sad to see; 

And his frown beclouded all the sunny day, 

But I said, “Your trouble, prithee, tell to me,” 
“Oh, I’m going to school,” said he, 
“There to learn my ABC, 

’Rithmetic and jography;” 

And he boo-hoo-boo-hoo-boo-hooed on his way. 

—Elizabeth Rosser, Youth’s Companion. 


COWSLIP GOLD, 



\17E’RE bound for the Klondike!” 
' * Said Bennie, so bold, 

“We’re bound for the Klondike! 

The river of gold.” 


Away to the wood lot 
Went laddie and lass 


The heavy, big gate they 
Called “Chilkoot Pass.” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Their dog team was Rover, 

The best ever known; 

They took for their dog feed, 

A big, juicy bone. 

Glad Brook was the Klondike, 

So clear and so cold, 

And on its green banks shone 

• The bright cow-slip gold. 

They gathered by handfuls, 

These miners, so bold, 

Until they had all that 
Their wagon could hold. 

Then home went these miners, 

So rich and so gay, 

And gave all their gold to 
Mamma, to assay. 

• 

She washed and (dish) panned it 
Until it was clean; 

Put it over the fire 
To bubble and steam; 

Then these miners partook 
Of a dinner of greens. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


100 


EASTER IN THE WOODS. 


T HEY are risen! They are risen! 

* All the buried flowers at last, 

From their dark and dreary prison, 

In the cold earth frozen fast. 

They are stirring, they are waking, 
Through the gray moss they are breaking, 
Through the withered grasses sere, 

Through the dead leaves of last year. 

Here are wind-flowers frail and tender, 
Starry bloodroot open wide, 

Trillium in snowy splendor. 

Blue hepaticas beside. 

At the joyous Easter weather 
They have risen, all together, 

In their beauty and their bloom 
From the silent winter tomb. 

Yes, it is a tale of wonder, 

Old and yet a sweet surprise, 

Every year repeated under 
April sunshine and blue skies. 

This is Nature’s Easter story, 

Told in her cathedrals hoary, 

When the Easter morning smiles 
Down the long, gray forest aisles. 

—Helen T. Eliot. 


110 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


TRY AGAIN. 

T F at first yon do succeed, 

A Try again! 

Life is more than just one deed; 

Try again. 

Never stop with what you’ve done, 
More remains than you have won. 
Full content’s vouchsafed to none; 
Try again! 

If you’ve earned a bit of fame, 

Try again! 

Seek a still more honored name, 

Try again! 

Sit not down with folded hands, 
Cramp not hope with narrow r bands; 
Think what prowess life demands! 
Try again! 

If you’ve won on lower plane, 

Try again! 

Life is more than one campaign; 
Try again. 

Send your guidons to the fore, 

Strive to seize one standard more, 
Still ungained are palms galore; 

Try again! 

If at first you do succeed, 

Try again! 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Ill 


For future harvests sow the seed, 

Try again. 

Rise with sacred discontent, 

Eealize that life is lent 
On highest searches to be spent; 

Try again! 

—C. A. S. Dwight, Youth's Companion. 


JES’ TORE CHRISTMAS. 

BY EUGENE FIELD. 

-r — 

P ATHER calls me William, sister calls me Will, 

* Mother calls me Willie—but the fellers call me 
Bill! 

Mighty glad I ain't a girl—ruther be a boy 
Without them sashes, curls an' things that's worn by 
Fauntleroy! 

Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the 
lake— 

Hate to take the castor-ile they give f'r belly-ache! 
Most all the time the hull year roun' there ain't no 
flies on me. 

But jes' 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be! 

Got a yaller dog named Sport—sick 'im on the cat; 
Fust thing she knows she doesn't know where she 
is at! 

Got a clipper-sled, an' when us boys goes out to slide 
'Long comes the grocery cart an' we all hook a ride! 





112 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


But, sometimes, when the grocery man is worrited and 
cross, 

He reaches at me with his whip, and larrups up his 
hoss; 

An’ then I laff and holler: “Oh, you never teched 
me!” 

But jes’ ’fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be! 

Grandma says she hopes that when I git to be a man 

I’ll be a missionerer like her oldes’ brother Dan, 

As wuz et up by the cannib’ls that lives in Ceylon’s 
isle, 

Where every prospeck pleases an’ only man is vile! 

But gran’ma she had never been to see a Wild West 
show. 

Or read the life uv Daniel Boone, or else I guess she’d 
know 

That Buffalo Bill an’ cowboys is good enough f’r me— 

Excep’ jes’ ’fore Christmas, when I’m good as I kin 
be! 

Then ol’ Sport he hangs around, so solium like an’ 
still— 

His eyes they seem a-sayin’: “What’s er matter, little 
Bill?” 

The cat she sneaks down off her perch, a-wonderin’ 
what’s become 

Uv them two enemies uv hern that use ter make 
things hum! 

But I am so perlite and stick so earnestlike to biz, 

That mother sez to father: “How improved our 
Willie is!” 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


113 


But father, havin’ been a boy hisself, suspicions me, 

When, jes’ ’fore Christmas, I’m as good as I kin he! 

For Christmas, with its lots an’ lots uv candies, cakes 
an’ toys, 

Wuz made, they say, f’r proper kids, and not fr 
naughty hoys! 

So wash yer face, and bresh yer hair, an’ mind yer p’s 
and q’s, 

An’ don’t bust out yer pantaloons, an’ don’t wear out 
yer shoes; 

Say yessum to the ladies, an’ yessir to the men, 

An’ when they’s company don’t pass yer plate f’r pie 
again; 

But, thinkin’ uv the things you’d like to see upon that 
tree, 

Jes’ ’fore Christmas be as good as you kin be! 


WHEN WE ARE MEN. 


Y\J HAT will we be when we are men? 
We boys, with open brow; 

Will we think, or say, or do things, then, 
We’d be ashamed of now? 

Will the height of our ambition be 
To dress without a flaw? 

To sport an eyeglass, swing a cane, 

And be a dude, “ye knaw?” 



114 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Or like an engine will we puff (imitate smoker) 
Along life’s trial track? 

Brains too befogged for a clear look 
Ahead, or up, or back. 

Or shall we ever learn to quaff 
The fire-water down? 

Will it make of us a demon? 

Or a piteous, tottering clown? 

And when we come to vote for this, 

Our nation’s weal or woe, 

Will gold or liquor tempt us, then, 

To let our birthright go? 

Shall blind ambition cast its blight? 

Or weary chase for gold ? 

Shall we e’er say that might is right? 

Shall our warm hearts grow cold? 

Boys, let our hearts, our deeds, our lives. 

Be worthy offerings; 

Our “footprints on the sands of time,” 

Lead up to higher things. 


—Harriet D. Castle. 


THE DOODLE BIRD. 



HEN, just below the eastern sky, 


v Y The giant Morning blinks his eye 
And groans: “Oh, dear, I greatly fear 
I have a long day’s work in view!” 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 115 

’Tis then that far and near is heard 
The clear voice of the Doodle bird— 

Insistently to you and me 
It calls: “O’clock-a-doodle-doo!” 

The Doodle bird is strong and bold 
And dressed in colors manifold 
And he delights in gory fights, 

’Tis said—I hope it isn’t true. 

And ev’ry day at early morn 
He wakes us with a scream of scorn, 

Which (those who know will swear ’tis so) 

Runs thus: “O’clock-a-doodle-doo!” 

How what an aggravating call— 

To not tell what o’clock at all! 

If it would say what time of day 
We might arise from bed—would you? 

Of all the birds that roost or nest 
The Doodle bird is foolishest, 

Because he breaks his rest to jest 
About “O’clock-a-doodle-doo!” 

—Chicago Record. 


THE MERCHANT’S CHOICE. 

A MERCHANT, seeking for a clerk, 
Addressed two hoys as follows: 
“Say, hoys, which would you rather be, 
Domestic ducks, or swallows?” 



116 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

“I would rather be a swallow, sir,” 

Replied one boy with vim, 

“For swallows soar above the earth 
While ducks just walk or swim; 

“And ducks are such slow, stupid birds— 
Such clumsy, waddling things— 

They have hard work to walk at all, 

And seldom use their wings.” 

“Fd ruther be a duck, I vow!” 

The other boy replied, 

“Fer all the needs o’ ducks, yer see, 

Are easily supplied. 

“They never work, nor worry much, 

They jes’ trus’ ter the’r luck, 

A gently floating down the stream, 

Oh, I wud be a duck!” 

The merchant turned upon his heel, 

What need to question more? 

And now the boy who first replied, 

Is head clerk in his store. 

—Rufus Clark Landon, in N. Y. Observer. 


MY MA, SHE KNOWS. 

/V/l Y pa, he scolds me jes’ becuz 
* * * He sez I’m gittin’ tough; 
He says my face is never clean, 

My hands are always rough; 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


117 


Fm not behavin’ like I should 
An’ goin’ wrong, I s’pose, 

But ma, she takes an’ pats my hand 
An’ smiles, becuz she knows. 

My pa hain’t got no use fer boys; 

I s’pose he wants ’em men; 

I wonder if he’s clean forgot 
The boy he must ’a’ been; 

Fer ma, she says they’re all alike 
’Bout face an’ hands an’ clothes, 

An’ says Fll learn to be a man; 

An’ ma, I guess she knows. 

My pa, he says I ain’t no good 
At doin’ anything; 

Fd ruther fool away the time, 

An’ whistle, dance an’ sing; 

But ma, she smiles an’ says I’m young, 
An’ then she up an’ goes 
An’ kisses me, an’ shows me how; 

Fer ma, you bet, she knows. 

My pa, he says Fll never be 
A business man, like him. 

Because I hain’t got any “drive,” 

And “get-up,” “pluck” and “vim;” 

But ma, she says, so solemn like, 

“A man’s a boy that grows;” 

“An’ boys must have their playin’ spells;” 
An’ ma’s a trump, an’ knows! 


118 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


My pa, he shakes his head an* sighs, 

An* says he doesn’t see 
Where I get all the careless ways 
That seem jes’ born in me; 

An’ ma, she laughs, an’ laughs, an’ laughs. 
Till pa’s face crimson grows, 

An’ then she says, “ ’Tis very queer,” 

But, somehow, ma, she knows. 

My ma, she knows ’most everything 
’Bout boys, an’ what they like; 

She’s never scoldin’ ’bout the muss 
I make with kites and bike; 

She says she wants me to be good 
An’ conquer all my foes, 

An’ you jes’ bet I’m goin’ to be, 

’Cuz my sweet ma, she knows. 

—Birch Arnold. 


THE WATERING TROUGH. 

BY SARAH K. BOLTON. 

T'' HE sun was scorching like the Simoon’s breath 
A Tired horses toiled along the busy street; 
Patient and faithful, with no goal but death, 

With parching tongues, and weary, aching feet. 

Dogs panted as they ran, and looked in vain 
For cooling water, by which all things live; 

What God sends freely in refreshing rain, 

A Christian city had forgot to give. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


119 


“What can I do for good unto the least?” 

A woman mused, that sultry afternoon; 

“Water unto the thirsty, man and beast,” 

Whispered a voice, “would be the greatest boon.” 

A simple trough was made; beside it stood 
A new tin cup that glistened in the sun; 

A trifling act it seemed, and yet the good 

Could not be measured when the year was done. 

Day after day, from morning until night, 

The thankful horses never passed it by; 

To her who gave it, ever a delight; 

For what is life, but constant ministry? 

The trough will do its work for years to come; 

The worn tin cup its blessed use will show; 

Others will build for creatures poor and dumb; 

Who helps the world has made his Heaven below. 

MAY BE SO. 

BY RUTH McENERY STUART. 

S EPTEMBER butterflies flew thick 
O’er flower-bed and clover-rick, 

When little Miss Penelope, 

Who watched them from grandfather’s knee, 

Said, “Grandpa, what’s a butterfly?” 

And “Where do flowers go when they die?” 

For questions hard as hard can be 
I recommend Penelope. 



120 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

But grandpa had a playful way 
Of dodging things too hard to say, 

By giving fantasies instead 
Of serious answers, so he said, 

“Whene’er a tired old flow T er must die, 

It’s soul mounts in a butterfly; 

Just now a dozen snow-wings sped 
From out that white petunia bed; 

“And if you’ll search, you’ll find, I’m sure, 
A dozen shriveled cups or more; 

Each pansy folds her purple cloth, 

And soars aloft in velvet moth. 

“So, when tired sunflower doffs her cap 
Of yellow frills to take a nap, 

’Tis but that this surrender brings 
Her soul’s release on golden wings.” 

“But is this so? It ought to be,” 

Said little Miss Penelope; 

“Because I’m sure, dear grandpa, you 
Would only tell the thing that’s true. 

“Are all the butterflies that fly 
Real angels of the flowers that die?” 
Grandfather’s eyes looked far away 
As if he scarce knew what to say. 

“Dear little Blossom,” stroking now 
The golden hair upon her brow, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


121 


“I—can’t—exactly—say—I—know it, 

I only heard it from a poet. 

“And poets’ eyes see wondrous things, 

Great mysteries of Howlers and wfings. 

And marvels of the earth and sea 
And sky, they tell us constantly. 

“But we can never prove them right, 

Because w 7 e lack their finer sight; 

And they, lest we should think them wrong, 
Weave their strange stories into song. 

“So beautiful, so seeming true, 

So confidently stated too, 

That we, not knowing yes or no. 

Can only hope they may he so.” 

“But grandpapa, no tale should close 
With ifs or huts or may-be-sos, 

So let us play we’re poets, too, 

And then we’ll know that this is true.” 

—Harper’s Round Table. 


SANTA AT THE KLONDIKE. 

A FAIRY came to Christmas Hall, 
And strange news did he bring, 

Of crowds of men, with picks and spades, 
All busy shoveling, 

So near, it seemed, that Santa Claus 
Might hear their shovels ring. 



122 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


“So strange a tale,” said Santa Claus, 

“I cannot understand; 

Soon they’ll be breaking up the ice 
In our own Santa Land. 

Ho! hitch my swiftest reindeers up,” 

Old Santa gave command. 

Away, away went Santa Claus, 

With chime of silver bell, 

And soon came flying home again 
With wondrous tale to tell,— 

While Mother Santa punched the fire 
And warmed his slippers well. 

“You know the Klondike Kiver, wife? 
Well, now, if I’d been told, 

I wouldn’t have believed it true,— 

The river’s full of gold! 

And that is what they’re digging for,— 
Those miners stout and bold. 

“But men can’t live on gold alone; 

Why, one poor fellow said 

‘He’d give his biggest nugget for 
A loaf of mother’s bread,— 

And with a chunk of butter, too. 

He’d call it quite a spread.’ 

“That houseless, homeless, hungry throng, 
I seem to see them yet; 

Their cheerless camp, their meager board 
I never can forget; , 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


123 


It sobered jolly Santa Claus— 

But, mother, don’t you fret. 

“Now, we’ll just hang the kettles on, 
The large ones and the small, 

For I’ve invited the whole camp 
To dine at Christmas Hall; 

One of your good Christmas dinners 
Will warm and cheer them all. 

“Now call the Christmas fairies in 
To help you out, my dear, 

And I’ll go call the reindeers up 
And get the sleighs in gear. 

The whole herd will he needed 
To bring our guests this year.” 


—H. D. C. 


A GLORIOUS FOURTH. 



ITTLE Adelbert arose at four 


^ And crept downstairs to the big front door. 
And down the walk to the garden gate, 

And there he started to celebrate. 

With bursting cracker and roaring gun 
He waked the neighbors, every one; 

He scared the cat out of all her sense, 

And blew the slats off the picket fence, 

And came to breakfast with one black eye, 

And said: “Hooray, for the Fourth of July!’ 




124 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


He ate with hurry and frantic haste, 

For never a minute had he to waste; 

Then out again to the fray he sprang 

And turned things loose with a mighty “bang!” 

He fizzed and spluttered and boomed and crashed, 
While dishes rattled and windows smashed; 

And when, all grimy and sore and lame, 

Torn and tousled, to lunch he came. 

On his swollen lips was the joyous cry: 

“Ain’t I glad it’s the Fourth of July!” 

All that day, till the twilight’s close, 

The powder-smoke from the garden rose; 

All day long, in the heat and dust, 

Little Adelbert “banged” and “bust,” 

Till, just as the shadows began to creep. 

He blew himself in a senseless heap. 

Burnt and blistered and minus hair, 

They brought him in for the doctor’s care; 

But, late that night, he was heard to sigh: 

“I wish every day was the Fourth of July!” 

—Joe Lincoln, in L. A. W. Bulletin. 


CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE. 


C EE! Washington, alone with all 
^ His captains round, in bitterest need, 
Sits in still council, loth to call 
The one man for the perilous deed. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


125 


The one man who must dare—nor doubt— 

His way to yonder camp to make, 

And wring the British secret out 
Before the sleeping lion wake. 

Then come the men of Congress’ own— 

What man of these is doomed to go? 

To cross the lonely sound, alone. 

While wind and w^ater mutter low? 

He knows his guerdon may be death. 

What wonder if his cheek were pale? 

Who is he? Each one holds his breath. . . 

Then—“I will go,” says Captain Hale. 

Oh, dark the sky and deep the sea, 

And one who loves him, with her prayer 
Keeps God awake all night!—Will he 
Think of his mother’s long despair? 

Ah, Captain Hale, your time is brief. 

How shadow-still! He walks on air! 

What if the whisper of a leaf 

Should warn that sentinel! “Who goes there?” 

He knows all that his chief would know; 

He moves with phantom silence back 
To tell his tale. He starts, and, lo! 

The enemy is on his track! 

Somewhere a Tory bloodhound bayed— 

The hunt is up! An alien king 



126 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Can take, dishonored and betrayed, 

The young man in his flower of spring. 

The young man? Let us reverence less 
The hero with his head of snows 
Than him who does not fear to press 
The grave-dust with a cheek of rose. 

—Sarah Piatt. 


“THEY SAY.” 


T T AYE you heard of the terrible family “They ?” 
* * And the dreadful, venomous things they say ? 
Why, half the gossip under the sun, 

If you trace it back, you will find begun 
In that wretched House of “They.” 

A numerous family, so I am told, 

And its genealogical tree is old; 

For ever since Adam and Eve began 
To build up the turious race of man, 

Has existed the House of “They.” 

Gossip-mongers and spreaders of lies, 

Horrid people whom all despise! 

And yet the best of us, now and then, 

Repeat queer tales about women and men, 

And quote the House of “They.” 

They live like lords and never labor. 

A “They’s” one task is to watch his neighbor. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


127 


And tell his business and private affairs, 

To the world at large they are sowers of tares, 
These folks in the House of “They.” 

It is wholly useless to follow a “They” 

With a whip or a gun, for he slips away 
And into his house, where you cannot go. 

It is locked and bolted and guarded so— 

This horrible House of “They.” 

Though you cannot get in, yet they get out, 
And spread their villainous tales about. 

Of all the rascals under the sun 
Who have come to punishment, never one 
Belonged to the House of “They.” 

—Ella Wheeler Wilcox, in Youth’s Companion. 


THE SLEEPING OF THE WIND. 


BY CHARLES B. GOING. 


'“P HE great red moon was swinging 
^ Alow in the purple east; 

The robins had ceased from singing; 

The noise of the day had ceased; 
The golden sunset islands 
Had faded into the sky, 

And warm from the seas of silence 
A wind of sleep came by. 



128 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


It came so balmy and resting 
That the treetop breathed a kiss, 

And a drowsy wood-bird, nesting, 

Chirped a wee note of bliss; 

It stole over fragrant thickets 
As soft as an owl could fly, 

And whispered to tiny crickets 
The words of a lullaby. 

Then slowly the purple darkened, 

The whispering trees were still, 

And the hush of the woodland harkened 
To a crying whip-poor-will; 

And the moon grew whiter, and by it 
The shadows lay dark and deep; 

But the fields were empty and quiet, 

For the wind had fallen asleep. 

—Ladies’ Home Journal. 


A DAIRY IN 1HE MEADOW. 


T" HERE’S a dairy in the meadow that I just found 
* out to-day 

As I chanced to pass along the grass, in wondering, 
dreamy way, 

I saw a cowslip by me, and the whole truth came to 
me, 

In hazy, mazy outline, that my thought explored to 
see. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


129 


The buttercups were standing with their shining 
bowls full filled 

By a gilt-edged mass all gleaming, as if the sun had 
spilled 

A little of its sunshine, in a dazzling, dripping ray, 

Adown the streaming splendors of a sultry, summer 
day. 

The milkweed held its liquid with sealed and certain 
grasp, 

The high stems were the quart cans; the silky leaves 
the clasp, 

And Fm certain by the richness of the cream that 
trickled through, 

No water had been added—not the smallest drop of 
dew. 

The daisies were the milkmaids. They wore spot¬ 
less ruffled caps, 

Which they pulled securely hound them to take their 
morning naps, 

And their faces shone so brightly o’er their tidy 
green print dress 

That the meadow-lark flew downward to give them 
a caress. 

The breezes are the coolers; they are fanning by the 
hour, 

So butter keeps its firmness, and cream is never sour; 

While the water drips and gurgles from a faucet in 
the sky 


130 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


To wash the tiny milk-pails for the smiling sun to 
dry. 

The dairy in the meadow is beneath a sky so blue 

That a little shine from Heaven seems to try and 
glimmer through. 

You’ll discover it, I’m certain, if you look some sun¬ 
lit day 

For the fairy little dairy in the meadow by the way. 


THE FUNDAMENTAL RULE. 

Y\J HEN years ago I went to school 
v y We were compelled by one great rule 
All other rules to master. 

Unlike the splendid “golden” one, 

’Twas feared by all and loved by none, 
And memorized much faster. 

To rouse the thoughts, to brighten wit, 
The teacher oft referred to it. 

And to incite endeavor. 

To many sums it proved the key; 

It kept the boys in misery, 

But in their lessons clever. 

One day when I came late to school 
The teacher pointed to the rule— 

His countenance was awful! 

And then and there, most thoroughly, 

By this great rule he proved to me 
That lagging was unlawful. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 131 

And oft the rule was taken down, 

Because I called a verb a noun 
Or missed a sum in fractions. 

“Hold out your hand,” the teacher'd say; 

And for the rest of that sad day 
That rule controlled my actions. 

—William G. Kemper. 


FOR MEMORIAL DAY. 

FLORENCE JOSEPHINE BOYCE. 

O CATTER the flowers o'er graves that are green, 

^ Scatter the flowers 'neath skies that are blue; 

Sunlight is stealing the mountains between, 
Comrades are sleeping, for battle is through. 

Fighting together, they stood to the last, 
Marshaled together at beat of the drum. 

Some from the ranks, ere the victory past, 
Beckoned beyond to their heavenly home. 

Some left to finish the battle of life, 

Some but to tarry awhile by the way— 

All from the darkness, the din, and the strife 
Passing together—the blue and the gray. 

Ranks have been broken and hearts left to grieve; 
Ties that were dear have been severed in twain; 

Still, in the web of existence, we weave 
Flowers of love till we meet them again. 



132 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Then, while the sunlight falls soft in its sheen 
Over the earth that is jeweled with dew, 
Scatter the flowers o’er graves that are green. 
Scatter the flowers ’neath skies that are blue. 


THE SONG OF THE WHEAT. 

T OW and sweet is the song of the wheat 

^ In its murmurings manifold. 

And lovingly kind the whispering wind 
That sweeps o’er its harp of gold. 

It nestles and croons in the drowsy noons, 
As the clouds skim over its crest, 

And it soothes and sighs with its lullabies. 
As it cradles the sun in the west. 

There’s a minor strain of hunger and pain 
That breaks into happy voice 

And whispers afar, “Wherever you are, 

0 starving ones, rejoice! 

Over the sea you are pleading for me, 
Weary and hopeless you stand; 

Be steady and true, I am coming to you. 
From the beautiful sunflower land.” 

0 wind of the sea you whisper to me, 
From the past of the prairie you greet. 

And eddy and toss your furrows across 
The whirl of the winsome wheat. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 133 

You are joyous and true as the billowy blue, 
The sails of your ships are furled, 

And you’re singing a song the glad day long 
That is echoed around the world. 

—Emma Playter Seabury. 


PLAYMATES. 

HT WO little puppies, full of play, 

* With a bone to worry and toss, 

Were sporting together the livelong day, 
And they never seemed vexed or cross. 
Three little squirrels, gray and wee, 

And spry and light as a bird, 

Played all day long in the old oak-tree, 

And they never said one sharp word. 

Four little pussies, the little dears, 

Climbed up on the garden wall, 

They played with each others’ tails and ears. 
And never quarreled at all. 

Five little birds, such a very tight fit. 

In one little tiny nest, 

Never crowded nor shoved nor pushed one bit 
For the place that each liked best. 

Six little chicks in the grass so green, 

Seven little ducks in the brook, 

Never gave one another, as I have seen, 

One angry or unkind look. 

Eight little lambs went to frolic and feed 
In the meadows broad and bright. 



134 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT'S. 


And the dear little things never once disagreed, 
From the dawn of day till night. 

Nine little boys were playing ball, 

But they made such a fuss, oh dear! 

And wrangled and scolded and screamed and all, 
That it tired my ears to hear. 

And that is the way, I am sorry to say, 

For wasn’t it just too bad? 

They have lost, on this pleasant summer day, 
All the fun that they might have had. 

—E. H. Thomas. 


A LESSON IN ASTRONOMY. 

For ten girls and boys. 

Cover ten hoops with yellow cloth or paper. Place the name 
of a planet on eight of them and “Sun,” “Moon,” on the remain¬ 
ing two. Hang hoops about neck with ribbons. 

Sun. Girl with “Golden hair all loose and shin¬ 
ing.” Large artificial sunflower at back of head; 
leaves standing around head like rays. 

Mercury. Small boy with wings fastened to cap. 

Venus. Girl, with wreath. 

Earth. Girl, with spray of green leaves. 

Moon. Very small girl. 

Mars. Soldier boy, with large dart. 

Jupiter. Boy, with crown and scepter. 

Saturn. Boy standing inside hoops, which he 
holds in both hands. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


135 


Uranus. Girl, with large star above forehead. 
Neptune. Sailor hoy. 

Comet. Boy, with long yellow sash. 

Earth Recites. 


I. 

Hr HE Solar System puzzled us, 

* Miss Mary said she thought it would, 
And so she gave us each a name, 

And made it all into a game, 

And then we understood. 

II. 

Theresa, with her golden hair 

All loose and shining, was the Sun. 
And round her Mercury and Mars, 
Venus, and all the other stars 
Stood waiting, every one. 

III. 

I was the Earth, with little Nell 
Beside me for the Moon so round. 

And Saturn had two hoops for rings, 
And Mercury a pair of wings, 

And Jupiter was crowned. 

IV. 

Then when Miss Mary waved her hand, 
Each slow and stately in our place, 

We circled round the Sun. 


136 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


[Play or sing march while they “circle round the sun;’’ moon 
circling about earth. Comet rushes in, breaks up march and 
scatters all, except earth, who finishes recitation. Let them ex¬ 
claim, A comet! A comet! as they scatter.] 

We circled round the Sun, until 

A Comet, that was little Will, 

Came rushing on through space. 

V. 

He darted straight into our midst, 

He whirled among us like a flash. 

The stars w r ent flying, and the Sun, 

And laughing, breathless, wild with fun, 

The “System” went to smash! 

—Youth’s Companion. 


A WORLD-REFORMER. 

Two Boys. 

BY SAM WALTER FOSS. 


John. 

O AID Farmer John to Joiner Ned: 

^ “Come put a back door on my shed.” 

Ned. 

Says Joiner Ned to Farmer John: 

“I cannot put your back door on. 

The Guild I’m interested in 
For the abolishment of sin, 





CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


13 ? 


Meets at my house this very day. 

And so I cannot get away.” 

John. 

“Well, after you’ve abolished sin 
Come down to-morrow and begin; 

I want that back door in my shed,” 

Said Farmer John to Joiner Ned. 

Ned. 

“To-morrow, neither, can I come. 

The Friends of the Millennium 
Meet at the house of Deacon Kent 
And I am first Vice-President.” 

John. 

“Well then, next Wednesday, without doubt, 
When your millennium’s started out, 

Just let it take its course and spread, 

And put that back door in my shed.” 

Ned. 

“I read an essay Wednesday, John, 

Before the Culture Club, upon 
‘The Easiest Method to Kestore 
Our Long-lost Eden Here Once More’; 

To foster peace, abolish war, 

And render virtues popular.” 

John. 

“Well, get your Eden here all right 
By sundown, prompt, next Wednesday night, 


138 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


And then, next Thursday morning, Ned, 
Come put that hack door on my shed.” 

Ned. 

“The Anti-Hunger Club convenes 
Next Thursday, down to Hiram Green’s, 

And I have promised to orate 
On how to crush and extirpate 
Man’s tendency for fish and meat, 

His groveling desire to eat.” 

John. 

“But won’t you come down by and by. 

We’ll say two years from next July? 

You’ll have your various schemes put through, 
You’ll have the universe new; 

Come down, then, with your tool-kit, Ned, 
And put that back door in my shed.” 

Ned. 

“I think,” says Ned, “I’ll take that chance 
If you will pay me in advance; 

For my wife says that we’ve no meat 
And no flour in the house to eat; 

This cash may save domestic strife 
And kind of pacify my wife.” 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL entertainments. 


139 


COLUMBIA’S BAKING DAY. 


A Character Song, to the tune of Yankee Doodle. 

Take an old sheet and mark the musical staff and scale upon 
it, making the notes of such a size that, when the cloth is cut 
away, a face can be inserted in the openings. Stretch the cloth 
smoothly and firmly across the stage and place singers behind it 
in their respective positions. Let each note, when singing their 
verse, sing in the pitch denoted by their position upon the staff 
and let the chorus be sung in the same pitch, which can be given 
in each instance by the accompanist. 

Columbia wears a blue dress, a large white apron trimmed with 
red stripes, and a white baker’s cap with red and blue band. 

Uncle Sam. Usual costume. 

Columbia sings. Air, Yankee Doodle. 

r "T HIS is Columbia’s baking day: 

A It keeps me busy, too, sir; 

For, with so many mouths to feed, 

I have enough to do, sir. 

Fm proud of my large family, 

And love them every one, sir; 

And my adopted children, too, 

They come, and come, and come, sir. 

This is the way I set my bread, (Point to staff.) 
So wholesome and so sweet, sir. 

These wide awake ingredients 
Will give you my receipt, sir. 


Lower Do. 

I am the Yankee Doodle do; (dough) 
Columbia just has set me: 

But by and by Fll rise up high. 

For that’s my style, you bet ye! 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Chorus. [All.) 

Yankee Doodle, doodle dough, 
Tell you, it comes handy; 
Sing it high and sing it low, 
Yankee dough is dandy! 


Ra. 

I am a Yankee Doodle Ray, 

A little ray of light, sir. 

Mixed with the Yankee Doodle dough 
Dll bring it up all right, sir. 

Chorus. 

Me. 

A fine ingredient am I, 

As you can plainly see, sir. 

The dough would never rise so high 
If it was not for me, sir. 

Chorus. 

Fa. 

Leave me out and you’11 say “Phaugh! 
I’m sure there’s something lacking.” 

But with the “Fa” in proper place 
Your lips you will be smacking. 

Chorus. 

Sol. 

An enterprising soul am I, 

I’m bound to make things go, sir. 

I am the very heart and soul. 

Of Yankee Doodle dough, sir. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


141 


Chorus. 

La. 

Here in this law abiding land 
All listen to the law, sir: 

I deal it with impartial hand, 

The best yon ever saw, sir. 

Chorus. 

Ce. 

Oh ho! the Yankee Doodle dough 
Is high as it can be, sir; 

And being up so near the top 
Enables me to see, sir. 

Chorus. 

Upper Do. 

Behold! the Yankee Doodle dough 
Has risen to great hight, sir. 

Pile on the wood, rake out the coals, 
And have the oven right, sir. 

Chorus. 

Columbia. 

And not alone for bread they cry, 
No, not by any means, sir: 

The Yankees want their pumpkin pie 
And also their baked beans, sir. 

And my adopted children, too, 

Will also want their rations. 

But, thank my stars! I have enough 
To feed the whole creation. 


142 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


[Enter Uncle Sam. He sings.] 

So this is bakin’ clay, my dear; 

I’m glad your bread hez risen: 

Fer Foot hez spoke fer a big batch 
An Otis he wants hisen. 

Wherever there’s a hungry mouth, 

In this, or any land, sir, 

If east or west, or north or south, 

Ameriky’s on hand, sir. 

Let’s feed ’em with the bread of life 
An’ keep the coffee bilin’; 

An’ never let King Alcohol 
All our good work be spilin’. 

/ 

Chorus.—[In which Uncle Sam joins, heartily.] 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


EVOLUTION OF THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING. 


A Song and Pantomime for Little Girls. 

Let the little girls be dressed in grandmother style with hand¬ 
kerchiefs crossed over the breast and pretty frilled caps. 

Make a fireplace of a large dry goods box. Have it open at the 
top and remove one side. Nail a board across the top, allowing 
it to project at the front, for a mantelpiece. Cover the mantel 
with drapery and the inside of the box with brown calico. Hang 
a curtain above the mantel, and at the sides of the box, to con¬ 
ceal the manner of old Santa’s appearing in the fireplace. 

Before beginning the song let the little girls step forward and 
backward and move hands, as in spinning, while an unseen 
violinist imitates the sound of a spinning wheel by holding down 
strings of a violin and running the bow across them. This might, 
also, be done after each chorus. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


143 


SPINNING WHEEL SONG. 

Air, 

“Merry Dick you soon would know 
If you lived in Chatham Row.” 

J" ISTEN to the spinning wheel. 

^ First the toe, and then the heel, 
Forward, and then back we go. 

See how plump the spindles grow. 

Chorus. 

List to the spinning wheel, 

Spinning wheel, spinning wheel, 
List to the spinning wheel, 

Sing it’s merry song. 

Trip it lightly, to and fro. 

Soon will come the Christmas snow, 
Christmas stockings must he done, 
And the yarn must soon be spun. 

Chorus. 

Listen to the busy hum: 

Merry Christmas soon will come. 

Trip it, lightly, to and fro; 

So the Christmas stockings grow. 

Chorus. 

[Stand still and imitate turning of reel.] 

SONG OF THE REEL. 

Rest a little, toe and heel, 

While we turn the busy reel. 

Turn it briskly, oh, such fun! 

Snap! another skein is done. 


144 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Chorus. 

Fly, fly my busy reel, 

Busy reel, busy reel, 

Count them, my busy reel, 

Skeins of Christmas yarn. 

Christmas stockings, if you please, 

Should come up above the knees; 

Children always like them so 
Cause they hold so much, you know. 

Chorus. 

Many, many skeins Twill take 
All those Christmas hose to make, 

Nice and long, of softest wool; 

Good old SantaTl fill them full. 

Chorus. 

Take places, in couples, facing each other. One goes through 
pantomime of holding skein of yarn for winding, the other of 
winding the ball. 

SONG OF THE BALL. 

This the way the ball is wound, 

Over, under, round and round. 

So the merry children small 
Wind the Christmas stocking ball. 

Chorus. 

Wind, winding, round and round, 

Round and round, round and round, 
Wind, winding, round and round, 

Christmas stocking ball. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


145 


[Pantomime of knitting.] 

KNITTING SONG. 

Listen to our needles click ! 

Long and slender, bright and quick. 
Knitting needles click and gleam, 
Round and round and mind the seam. 

Chorus. 

List to our needles click, 

Bright and quick, bright and quick, 
List to our needles click, 

- Needles bright and quick. 

Round and round, quick as a wink, 
Time to narrow, now, we think; 

Swiftly flies the shining steel, 

Now we’re almost to the heel. 

Chorus. 

Shape it neatly; grandma, kind, 

Taught us how to slip and bind. 

Round and round and round we go: 
Now we’ll narrow off the toe. 

Chorus. 

Christmas stockings all are done 
And we’ll hang them, every one, 

On the mantel and, what fun! 

Wait for Santa Claus to come, 


146 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Have stockings lying on mantel and nails driven ready for hang¬ 
ing them. Children hang stockings and seat themselves on the 
floor around the fireplace. They sing, 


WAITING FOR SANTA CLAUS. 


Chorus. 

Wait, wait for Santa Clans, 
Santa Clans, Santa Claus, 

Wait, wait for Santa Claus, 

Good old Santa Claus. 

When we hear his sleigh bells sweet 
We will hide, and slyly peep 
Till he fills them, to the toe, 

Then we will surprise him so. 

Chorus. 

Turn lights low. Children begin to nod and rub eyes. 


Why, what makes my neck so weak? 
Lashes won’t stay off my cheek,— 
Eyelids-won’t-stay-off-my-eyes. 
Won’t-old-San-ta-be-sur-prised ? 


Children fall asleep in various pretty attitudes. A pack falls 
into the fireplace followed by old Santa. He gazes around on the 
children, then puts his hands on his sides and laughs heartily (in 
pantomime). He fills the stockings, looks at the children again— 
“And laying his finger aside of his nose, 

And, giving a wink, up the chimney he goes.” 

Turn up the lights. An unseen choir sings a Christmas carol. 
The children waken, rub their eyes, and seem surprised and be¬ 
wildered. They sing, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


147 


CHRISTMAS MORNING. 

Air, 

“Good Morning, Merry Sunshine.” 

Why, if it isn’t morning! 

Jnst see the sunshine smile; 

To think we watched for Santa Claus 
And sleeping all the while. 

Why, this is Christmas morning! 

And oh, just see! just see! 

Old Santa’s filled our stockings just 
As full as they can be! 

Children rush to the mantel and take down stockings with ges¬ 
tures of delight. They hold them up to the audience and sing. 

Just see our Christmas stockings! 

We think they are good sized. 

And, after all, we’re pretty sure 
Old Santa was surprised. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


DIALOGUE. 

Arranged from a story in The Youth’s Companion. 

ON QUANTUCK POND. 

CHARACTERS. 

Davy Jackman—A school boy. Old clothes very 
much patched. Old boots much too large. 

Ned Nelson Mr. Nelson 

Bony Towne. Mrs. Nelson 

Chub Peters Bridget Moloney 

Johnny Snelling 



148 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Scene First. 

Ned, Bony, Chub and Johnny, with books, satchels, etc., going 
home from school. 

Chub—Wish’t that new boy would come out, sos’t 
we could have a little fun with him. 

Johnny—Oh, he wants to stay in and study. 
’Eraid he won’t beat us all in ciphering and hist’ry 
and everything. 

Bony—Maybe he’s afraid we’ll tease him. We are 
kind of rough on him, that’s a fact. 

Ned—Huh! that’s nothing. Every new boy has 
to be picked on a little at first, you know, unless 
he’s dressed up tip-top, and has lots of candy to treat 
with, and such; that makes a good deal of difference. 
And anyhow, if he’s plucky, we most always give 
over in a day or two, and use him first rate. 

Bony—We don’t let up on Davy Jackman though, 
us four don’t; if we did the rest would. 

Ned—Why don’t he show a little spunk, then? 
’stead of pretty near crying: great big baby; He’s 
a reg’lar coward, he is. 

Chub—There he is, now! 

(Enter Davy.) 

Ned—Let’s all sing, “Old Rags to Sell.” (All sing. 
Davy comes nearer.) 

Ned—Oh! ’scuse us, Patchy. We thought ’twas 
the rag man coming. 

Johnny—Say, Jumbo, how’d the cars come to run 
over your pa? Drunk wasn’t he? 

Bony—Hold on! don’t be in such a hurry. We’d 
like the pleasure of your company. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


149 


Ned—(Catching hold of Davy) Stop a little, sir! 
We want to consult you about styles. You needn’t 
cut us poor fellers if you are just from Paris. 

Chub—My! ain’t he a dude, though ? 

Johnny—Reg’lar dandy. 

Bony—Biggest swell yet; ’specially his boots; 
they’re awfully swell. 

Chub—Do you mind telling us where you got your 
hat? We want to get one just like it. (Knocks off 
hat.) 

Ned—(Picking up hat and dusting with great care 
and concern.) Look a here, Chub, you want to be 
careful how you handle that hat. That’s a hair- 
loom ; been in the family for generations. S’pect they 
think a pile of it. (Places hat on Davy’s head with 
deferential bow.) And what a lovely patch! Hold 
him easy, boys, while I cut a pattern of it. (Ned 
tears leaf out of geography. Boys hold Davy. Davy 
breaks away and runs.) 

Bony—Go it boots! Run, big ’fraid, run! 

Ned—Run home and tell his ma. Good little boy, 
help his ma wash. (Imitates rubbing on wash board.) 

Johnny—Cry-baby-cripsy! Mamma kiss away 
tears. (All imitate crying, noisily, and finish with 
a laugh.) 

Bony—Ain’t he a reg’lar calf? Say, let’s invite 
him to play hookey, on the pond, Thanksgiving Day. 
We’d get lots of fun out of him. 

Ned—He’d beat us skating, all right, if you call 
that fun. He can go backwards and forwards, and 
cut round, and make figure eights and spread eagles. 


150 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


the greatest ever yon saw. If it wa’n’t for his old 
skates he’d knock the socks off of us all worse yet. 
He wouldn’t be half bad if he wasn’t such a coward. 

Chub—Oh pshaw! Let’s not ask him. We don’t 
want the girls to see us playing with such a patchy 
anyhow. And if he comes down there let’s leave 
him out of hookey and all the fun. 

Ned—All right. He hasn’t any business on the 
pond, anyway. 

Bony—Do you s’pose the ice will be hard enough ? 

Ned—Oh, yes, it’s always hard enough by Thanks¬ 
giving, ’round the edges, anyway. Ki! but won’t it 
be fun? Just skate and skate and get hungrier and 
hungrier, and think about the turkey and mince pie. 
Gee! but it makes my mouth water. (They gather up 
books, as they talk, fall in side by side and pass off 
stage as Ned finishes last sentence.) 

Scene Two. 

Sitting room. Mr. Nelson reading paper. Mrs. N. sewing. 
Bridget rushes in from kitchen in great excitement. 

Bridget—Och, murther ! but little Masther Nid is 
kilt entoirely! 

Mr. and Mrs. N. rise excitedly. Bridget rushes across room and 
flings open door. Bony, Chub and Johnny enter, carrying Ned. 

Mrs. N.—Oh! what is the matter? Is he dead? 

Bony—No, Aunt Esther, but he fell in the pond. 

Mr. N.—Here, let me have him. I’ll takes him to 
the kitchen fire. We must get these wet things off, 
wrap him in a warm blanket and give him a hot drink. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


151 


Bridget—An* it’s mesilf will be makin’ him a cup 
of hot ginger tay, the darlint! (Exit Mr. and Mrs. 
N., Ned and Bridget.) 

Bony—Fm not going till I know whether Ned’s 
going to pull through or not; he’s my cousin, you 
know. 

Chub—We’ll stay, too. We want to know, too. 

Johnny—My! what’d we do without Ned? He’s 
just boss. 

Bony—We’d had to do without him, though, if it 
hadn’t been for Davy Jackman. Why! where’s he 
gone? 

Chub—He didn’t come in at all. Just let go of 
Ned at the door. 

Bony—’Shamed of his clothes, I bet you. Just 
think how mean we’ve been to him, boys. (Enter 
Bridget.) 

Bridget—An ’air yez here yet, byes? Thot’s foine, 
for it’s Masther Nid do be wantin’ to say yez all, be¬ 
fore ye do be goin’. 

Bony—Oh! is Ned all right, then? 

Bridget—Faith an’ he is, the darlint! It’s only a 
bit chilled he was. (Enter Mr. and Mrs. N. Mr. 
N. carries Ned, wrapped in a blanket. Lays him 
on couch.) 

Ned—Where’s Davy? 

Bony—He didn’t come in at all. 

Ned—Oh! I wanted to tell him how ’shamed and 
sorry I am. 

Mrs. N.—How did it happen, boys? 

Bony—Why, you see, we was all skating, down on 


152 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


the pond, and pretty soon Johnny threw a stone across 
the pond. “Iver-chug! kerchug!” it went, skipping 
along, “ker-chu-ug!” And just then old Uncle John 
Daggett came along. “Boys,” said he, “don’t any 
on ye try to toiler that rock. Th’ ice ain’t safe. I 
can tell by the noise she makes. Mind now!” Then 
Ned said, “Who’s afraid? I’d jes’ as lieves go over 
as not.” “Stump you to!” said Johnny, quicker’n 
scat. He’s always stumping folks, Johnny is. 

Johnny—I’m awful sorry I stumped you, Ned. 

Ned—I guess you’d better not stump folks any 
more, Johnny. You see it kinder makes a fellow 
feel as if he wanted to do it, whether it was right 
or not. 

Johnny—I’ll never do it again, Ned; deed and 
double, honor bright. 

Bony—Just then Davy Jackman came down that 
way; he’d been kind of skating around by himself, 
and I said for Johnny to stump him. So he did; 
an’ Davy said “he didn’t want to go,” an’ we said 
he was afraid* to. Then we got to kind of fooling, 
and plaguing him, an’ Ned knocked his hat way 
off on the pond. 

Ned—Now, Bony, you ain’t telling that straight. 
You ain’t telling how mean I was. 

Bony—You wasn’t any meaner than the rest of 
us. 

Ned—Yes I was! I was the meanest one of all. 

Mr. N.—It takes a pretty brave boy to say that. 
I’m glad my boy is brave enough. But let Bony go 
on with his story. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


153 


Bony—Well, when Davy said he wouldn’t go for 
his hat Ned said he would. Davy an’ I said for 
him not to, but he did an’ by’n by the ice just went 
down with him. We were all scared to death an’ 
couldn’t do nothing but holler, all but Davy. And 
he just sung out for our mufflers an’ a little rock, 
an’ ’fore you could say Jack Robinson he had ’em 
tied together an’ the rock in one end. Then he crept 
out and crept out and threw it; an’ we all helped 
pull. I tell you he’s a brick, Davy Jackman is, so! 
I’m going to stick up for him after this, too. 

Mrs. N.—(Crying softly.) Bless him. 

Ned—You don’t know how mean we’ve been to 
him, mamma, ’specially me. We called him 
“Patchy” and “Jumbo” and “ ’Fraid cat” and “cow¬ 
ard,” and sang “Old rags to sell.” 

Bridget—Och! ye little spalpanes, ye. 

Ned—’N way down I just believe it was ’cause he 
beat us all in ciph’ring and hist’ry and skating ’n 
everything. Maybe the other fellows didn’t feel so, 
I didn’t know’s I did till I was down in that black 
cold water grabbing at the ice that just kept breaking 
and breaking. Seems to me I thought of everything 
then. I thought about how mother’d cry, and tried 
to say a prayer but couldn’t think of any ’cept “Now 
I lay me.” 

Bridget—Ochone! the poor darlint. 

Ned—We was awful mean to Davy to-day; left him 
out of our game of hookey, ’n kept hollering, back 
and forth to each other, ’bout turkey ’n plum pud¬ 
ding.’n mince pie, when we just the same as knew 


154 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


he wouldn’t have any. That’s how mean we were. 
’N when Davy said he didn’t want to go out on the 
pond I said, “You daresn’t! You’re a coward, Big 
’Fraid!” That’s how mean I was. “Go over,” said 
I, “and I’ll take you home to dinner and give you 
a turkey-hone.” “I’d go if there was any need of 
it,” he said, speaking real low and redding up again 
like a beet. “But I promised my mother I wouldn’t 
go where the ice wasn’t safe.” So’d I promised you, 
mother, hut I didn’t say so, I just laughed. “Ho! 
ho! Mammy’s baby’d best run home to mammy! ,; 
said I; and then I did the meanest trick of all. 
Quicker’n scat I grabbed his poor old faded hat off 
of his head and sent it fairly whizzing over the ice. 
“There,” said I, “now there’s need of your going 
across. Go get your hat, Big ’Fraid.” He didn’t 
say one word. He just sat down to pull off his 
skates. But he looked just like he was going to cry. 
Then I laughed again, hut I did feel kind of ’shamed. 
“Don’t cry, baby,” said I; “I’ll go get your hat.” 
“Oh, no,” said he. “’Tisn’t worth much, and you’ll 
—you’ll get in. Don’t go!” But I said yes, sir-ree, 
I would. I wa’n’t afraid of a little thin ice, I said. 
And the boys cheered like sixty, all but Bony. He 
looked sober, and said for me not to go. But I did; 
and I tell you, I was scared when the ice began to 
knuckle down under me, and I wasn’t half-way to 
the hat. But I wouldn’t go back and get laughed 
at and called Big ’Fraid myself—no, sir! So I kept 
right on and pretty soon, without a crack or any- 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


f55 


thing the ice just settled, and in I went all under 
that black, cold water. 

Mrs. N.—Well boys, I must say you have been 
“real mean” to Davy: but I think you are sufficiently 
punished, especially my boy. I don’t like to think 
how much worse it might have been if it hadn’t been 
for Davy. 

Bony—You bet we’ll never do it again! Aunt 
Esther. 

Johnny, Chub and Ned—No sir-ree! 

Mrs. N.—All you can do now is to tell him how 
ashamed and sorry you feel, and try to make it up 
to him. I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Chub and 
Johnny you run home and ask your mammas 
if you can take dinner with Ned; Bony was com¬ 
ing anyway; and we’ll have Mrs. Jackman and Davy 
over, and you boys may have a table by yourselves 
and have all the fun you want to. 

Chub—Whoopee ! won’t that be boss? 

Johnny—You bet! 

Bony—Tell you! we’ll give Davy just the best time 
he ever had in his life. 

Ned—That would be just splendid! but I’m awful 
’fraid Davy wouldn’t come. You see his clothes are 
in pretty bad shape. Mamma can’t I give him my 
suit ? My very best Sunday go-to-meeting one ? 

Mrs. N.—I’m glad you want him to have it, dear, 
but I think something more serviceable, something 
not second hand, would please Davy better. 

Mr. N.—I think I can fix him up in a suit that 
you young scamps won’t guy him about. 



1U6 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Ned—Oh, papa! we wouldn’t ever! 

Johnny—No, sir-ree! 

Chub—Not much, we wouldn’t! 

Bony—We’re too ’shamed. 

Mr. N.—And I think I can find him a hat without 
going out on the pond for his old one. 

Ned—Oh, papa and mamma! you’re just splendid! 
I don’t see how I came to be so mean. 

Bridget—An’ it’s a foine dinner I’ll be gettin’ fer 
the byes, or me name’s not Bridget Maloney. 


RIDDLE AFTERNOON, 


Do not acquaint pupils with answers to riddles when giving out 
recitations. Have ready inexpensive representations of articles; 
small doll, pencil, top, picture of robin, Jack-in-the-pulpit, (natural 
flowers, artificial flowers or picture) thermometer, etc. 

Before beginning the exercises state that it is riddle afternoon 
and some trifle will be given the one who first guesses the riddle 
correctly. If they fail to guess at all show them the article and 
have them tell of some “shut in” boy or girl who would like it. 

Recitation and Riddle No. 1. (Ans. Jack-in-the-pulpit.) 


A LITTLE PREACHER. 



LTHOLTGH I am neither 


1 1 A monk nor a nun 
I live in a church and 
A beautiful one; 

The oldest and grandest 
That’s under the sun. 


The roof, to my church, is 
So bright and so high 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


157 


You never can reach it, 

It's useless to try. 

My church has great pillars, 

So tall and so round! 

The workmen who raised them, 
All live under ground; 

Though some who did light work 
Above it are found. 

My church is so large and 
My pulpit so small 

YouTl have to hunt for me, 

And merrily call 

A name that don't sound like 
A preacher's at all. 

But children all love it, 

Alas and alack! 

Before I can give them 
A sermon or tract, 

They shout, “Oh, we've found you! 
You dear little—" 

[Place hand over mouth.] 

Now where is my church, with 
It's roof high and bright? 

And' what are the pillars, 

That stand in their might? 

And who are the workmen, 

In dark and in light? 

Now tell me my name, and 
Your answer is right. 


158 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


There might be a little talk about “God’s hrst temples,” that 
have great trees for pillars and the blue sky for a roof. About the 
workmen who live under ground (soil, moisture, etc.,) and those 
who live above (light, air, etc.) There might be a talk after any 
recitation where it could be made instructive or amusing. 

Recitation and Riddle No. 2. (Ans. Grapes.) 

I have a royal purple gown, 

And yet, ’tis strange to say, 

People will always slip it oft 
And throw it quite away. 

Recitation and Riddle No. 3. (Ans. Top.) 

Hum, humming like a busy bee: 

But, don’t you think it’s funny? 

Hum, hum, humming all the day 
And not a drop of honey. 

Spin, spin, spinning all the day, 

But, very strange and shocking, 

I never spin a yard of yarn 
To knit your winter stocking. 

Recitation and Riddle No. 4. (Ans. Pencil.) 

I draw queer pictures, with my toe, 

In black, and blue, and red; 

Then, if they are not pretty, I 
Erase them with my head. 

Class Recitation and Riddle No. 5. 

SIX LITTLE STATES. 

Outline six States on stiff cardboard and cut them out. Leave 
opening for eyes, nose and mouth on four of them. For the other 
two select States a part of whose outline, with a little assistance, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


159 


perhaps, resembles a profile. Draw eye and side view of mouth. 
Fasten States to children’s heads with elastic braid. Two girls in 
center face audience. Each carries small flag. Tops of flags nearly 
meet. Little girl at. right and left (the profile States) present par¬ 
tial side and back view. They lean forward as if whispering to re¬ 
maining two, who stand facing, and slightly catching up their 
dresses with one hand. “Little States” recite in concert. 

Six little States are we; 

Good as good can be 
Name us, we command, 

Now, as here we stand. 

Let pupils guess each State separately. Give cardboard State to 
one who guesses right. 


Recitation and Riddle No. 6. (Ans. Thermometer.) 


FUNNY MISTER MERCURY. 

A funny man, named Mercury, 

Was living all alone 

His house was round as any ball, 

And bright as silver shone. 

Upon the top of this small house 
There stood a ladder, tall, 

With full a hundred rounds, or more, 
I did not count them all. 

In winter time he didn’t like 
To climb this ladder tall: 

I think, perhaps, he was afraid 
That he might slip and fall. 

But when the summer breezes came, 
And drove the cold away, 


160 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


This funny Mr. Mercury 
Went skipping up, so gay. 

Then you would see his little head, 

With streaming silver hair, 

Go climbing up the ladder rounds 
To get a breath of air. 

And so he'd climb, and climb, until, 

Upon the hottest day. 

He’d sit upon the topmost round 
And fan himself, they say. 

Now all the lads and lassies 
Can tell, without a doubt, 

Who funny Mr. Mercury is, 

And just where he “hangs out.” 

Recitation and Riddle No. 7. (Ans. Robin-Cheer-up.) 

My popular song 
Has been sung for an age; 

But it never wears out, 

And is always the rage. 

A brand new edition 
Is brought cut each year: 

The children all know it, 

For, isn't it queer? 

There are only two words 
In my song of good cheer. 

Now what is this song? 

Can any one say? 

And who is the singer? 

So merry and gay. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


1G1 


Recitation and Riddle No. 8. (Ans. Doll.) 

Oh! ho! I am so gritty 
I really, truly think 

If you should stick a pin in me 
I wouldn’t even wink. 

I wouldn’t cry if you should soil 
My prettiest new frock, 

Or if your noisy brother 

Should give my head a knock. 

If all my limbs were broken, 

In some great accident, 

I’d smile as sweet as ever, 

And lie there, quite content. 

Although I am so gritty 
I’m gentle as a lamb. 

Can anybody tell me 

- Just who, and what, I am? 


A SELFISH LITTLE BOY. 


Reading or recitation and tableaux. 

First Tableau. 

Group of happy children playing “keep school.” Have this 
tableau arranged before beginning to read. 


NCE there was a little boy, 

His name I will not tell, 

For fear some one would say, “Oh, yes! 
I knew him very well.” 




162 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


There were no other little ones 
To share with, lovingly, 

And so, ’tis very sad to tell, 

A selfish boy was he. 

He wearied of his playthings soon, 

And threw them on the floor; 

But if a mate seemed pleased with one 
He wanted it once more. 

He wanted this, he wanted that, 

He wanted everything; 

And if he couldn’t have it, then 
A dreadful song he’d sing. 

His mamma didn’t like to hear 
Him cry, and scream and kick, 

And if he wanted anything 
She gave it to him quick; 

Which she would not have done, perhaps, 
If she had not been sick. 


But wise or unwise, sick or well, 
However that may be, 

The naughty habit grew until 
A dreadful boy was he. 

i 

Now, next door lived a family 
Of little girls and boys; 

I’m very glad I cannot say 
They never made a noise. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


163 


Their mamma taught them all a game, 
To keep them nice and still; 

So every day they played “keep school” 
With all their childish skill. 

The oldest was the teacher, 

And, though she couldn't spell, 

They grew so kind and bright I know 
She must have taught them well. 

Day after day they played as gay 
And happy as could be, 

Until they knew their letters well, 
From A clear down to Z. 

[Show first tableau here.] 
Recitation continued. 

Alas! the selfish little boy 
Came visiting one day. 

He looked so dirty and so cross 
I think he ran away. 

The little teacher welcomed him, 

And bade him take a chair; 

But, pointing to the teacher's place. 
He snarled, “No! I'll sit there.” 

And next he wanted Mary's place, 
And then he routed Sue. 

The little teacher stood aghast 
And wondered what to do. 


164 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


But when he came to little John, 

With a determined air, 

The baby said, “I sant dit up! 

Ts is my yitty chair.” 

At this the selfish little boy 
Lay prone upon the floor. 

And kicked his heels, and raised his voice 
In such a dreadful roar, 

That little John sprang quickly up, 

With wonder in his eye. 

And said, “Des oo tan have my chair; 

So, yitty boy, don't ky.” 

The selfish boy now thought he saw 
A victory complete; 

And so he kicked and louder screamed, 
“No! I want all the seats!” 

The children all were standing, 

In wonder and in dread. 

The little teacher felt as if 
She stood upon her head. 

In all her wide experience 
There never yet had been, 

She felt it to her finger tips, 

Such need of discipline. 

“Spare the rod and spoil the child,” 

Wise Solomon did say, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

And, strange to say, a simple child, 

Felt just that very way. 

And so she took the selfish hoy 
And laid him ’cross her knee, 

And spanked him, with her little might; 
The blows fell fast and free. 

This treatment was so new to him 
It gave him great surprise; 

And loud he sang the tune, as lined 
By Solomon the wise. 

Just then they saw a shadow fall 
Across the schoolroom floor; 

The mother of the selfish boy 
Was standing in the door! 

Poor little Jane’s astonishment 
Imagine if you can; 

A situation unforeseen 
By even Solomon. 

The little teacher’s wide-eyed look 
Of terror and surprise 

Amused his mother, and she laughed 
Till tears stood in her eyes. 

For once she did not pity him 
For all his woful plight. 

They told her all about it, and 
She said "It served him right.” 


16 & 


166 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Now don’t be like this selfish boy; 

Bad habits grow so fast; 

Be kind and just and generous, 

And loving to the last. 

Good habits, just like naughty ones, 

If cultivated, grow, 

Till Solomon, the wise, would say, 

“No need of rods,” I know. 

[Show second tableau: Schoolroom in disorder, seats overturned, 
etc. Teacher with “selfish boy” across knee; children standing 
about; mother standing in door; teacher and children look sur¬ 
prised and frightened.] 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


TABLEAUX. 


HAYING HIS FORTUNE TOLD. 


A cute baby in short dresses. He sits in a high chair, one that 
has a leaf to fasten across the front. He is leaning forward, 
resting one little arm on the leaf. A wee girl is holding his other 
hand in one of hers and tracing his chubby palm with the index 
finger of her other hand. 

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF EARLY LIFE. 


Two children on a teeter. 




CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


167 


Recitations and Exercises for Higher Grade. 


CONTENTED. 


✓r — 

/^OTJSIN JOHN hez built a mansion, ’Lizabethan 
in its style, 

Crochet-trimmin’s ’round the corners, hard-wood 
floors all done in ile, 

Porters hangin’ in the doorways, didoes pasted on the 
wall, 

“Color schemes” a-runnin’ riot in the settin’-room an’ 
hall! 


Went to see ’im on a visit; felt like I wuz in a dream, 

Not a heatin’ stove er wood-box, all the house wuz 
het by steam. 

Pipes a-leadin’ from the basement, gla-diators in each 
room, 

Carpets dragged by little go-carts, never saw ’em use 
a broom! 

Parlor mantel piled with bric-bracs, Injun mattin’ 
on the stairs, 

Hiroglyphics worked in yaller on the satin-covered 
chairs; 



168 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Water-fassets in the kitchen, hot er cold, you took 
your choice; 

Telephone in handy waitin’ ef you liked to try your 
voice. 


’Lectric lights blazed every evenin’ till the moon itself 
seemed wan, 

ISTo more use fer cracker-matches, jest a flip would 
turn ’em on; 

Breakfast showed up late an’ tired, lunch cum on at 
twelve o’clock, 

Dinner shook the hand of twilight, givin’ my old 
nerves a shock. 

Stayed a week an’ saw the city! Cousin John was 
awful kind; 

But I come away rejoicin’; home wuz suited to my 
mind! 

Thought the old brown house looked nicer than it 
ever did afore; 

Mary sewin’ by the winder, Bover barkin’ at the door. 


Slipped right hack into the traces, all the wheels 
rolled smoothly round, 

’Lectric blaze hed been too glarin’; lamps air better, 
I’ll be bound. 

Bric-bracs make a feller weary; purest water lives in 
wells, 

Common chairs ’ll do fer farmers, satin couch ’ll do 
fer swells! 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


169 


Noon-time alters finds me ready fer a dinner,—not a 
lunch! 

An’ steam heat,—you can’t compare it with a fire you 
kin punch! 

Hick’ry wood a cracklin’ gayly; stove a glowin’ cherry- 
red! 

Warmth an’ peace an’ drowsy comfort stealin’ up from 
foot to head. 

Fall is slippin’ into winter; never mind its storms an’ 
chills; 

Pack the iron pump in sawdust,—we shan’t run no 
plumbers’ bills! 

Eat an’ drink an’ read the papers—let the world go 
brawlin’ on! 

Happiness is my twin-sister,—I’m ez rich ez Cousin 
John! 

—Emma Eggleson. 


THE STAR IN THE WEST. 

U'T' HERE’S a star in the west,” a wonderful star! 

* Like Bethlehem’s star, ever blessed. 

Wise men first beheld it, and followed it far, 

This wonderful star of the west. 

Then the voice of the multitude caught up the strain, 
And spread the glad tidings afar; 

And lo! they came flocking from valley and plain, 
And millions came sailing across the wide main, 

To follow this wonderful star. 



170 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


O’er the towering heads of the forest kings 
This radiant star rode, serene; 

And, though they must traverse the dim, silent aisles, 
Where savages lurk, and the sun seldom smiles 
They follow its silvery sheen. 

They dream of the homestead, with low, sheltering 
eaves, 

Where birds twitter sweet when the dawn 
Kisses open the eyes of the loved ones they leave; 
And many a heart for the fatherland grieves; 

Still westward the star draws them on. 

Vast plains stretch before them, like oceans at rest, 
Whose petrified billows stood still 
At the mandate of Him, who says, to the sea, 

"Thus far shalt thou go and no farther,” to be 
Firm monuments, reared at His will. 

Great rivers rush seaward, as hearts turn to home; 

And vast mountains tower, in the might 
Of their grandeur and strength they exultingly rise 
And kiss, with bold lips, the holy blue skies 
Where the wonderful star shines so bright. 

Over their loftiest summits it soars, 

While millions press on in the quest. 

Till benignant it stands, its journeyings o’er, 

Where the ocean of peace laveg the uttermost shore 
Of the wonderful land of the west. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


171 


Rejoice in your present, broad bountiful land, 

By high hearts, and hopeful, possessed. 

May your future as high as your mountain tops be; 
Grow broad as your plains, so boundless and free; 
Roll grand as your rivers, that rush to the sea; 
Bring treasure as rich as your mines yield to thee, 
Oh! wonderful land of the west. 

—Harriet D. Castle. 


THE WISDOM OF FOOLS 

BY REV. J. H. BOMBERGER. 


T"* HERE lives a man in our town, 
* And he is wondrous wise. 

He pigeonholes and tabulates, 
Assorts and classifies. 

In learned polysyllables 
His soul luxuriates; 

He has mastered nomenclature, 

And nearly all the dates. 

His shelves are full of specimens, 
His head’s a catalogue; 

His boundless erudition 

Doth all common minds befog. 

The species and the genera 
Of everything he knows, 

But beyond their mere arrangement 
His thinking never goes. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


He stands upon a ladder 
That leans against the stars. 

But his only occupation 

Is to count its rungs and bars. 

He can find some fact of science 
In the roadway’s hardened clod, 

But with all his erudition 
He has never found his God. 
Absorbed in cataloguing 
The insects and the plants. 

He has missed earth’s implications,— 
Nature’s significance. 

The bramble-bush of mental pride 
Has scratched out both his eyes, 

And he cannot read God’s message 
In the flowers or the skies. 

Day unto day responsively 
Proclaims a ruling Mind: 

Night unto night is eloquent,— 

But he is deaf and blind. 

For all of nature’s parables 
Are far beyond his ken, 

And hardly would the ‘Turning bush” 
Restore his eyes again. 

For if he found the bush aflame, 

With dull impiety 
He’d make a memorandum of 
“A new variety.” 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


173 


THE AMBULANCE. 

A HUSH in the roar of the busy street; 

** A pause in the surge of the hurrying feet; 

A galloping horse—four whirring wheels— 

A tremor of haste that the whole earth feels— 

The ambulance comes! Quick—let it pass! 

Claiming its course with clang of gong, 

Forcing a way through the surging throng— 

That cross of red is its right of way, 

Let man nor beast its speed delay. 

Open a way and let it pass! 

Only a question of life and death, 

Read in the flow of the failing breath. 

Only a life—such a trivial thing— 

Only a trellis where fond hopes cling. 

Here is the ambulance! Quick, make way! 

Only an episode—one of a score— 

Lost in the din and the rattle and roar; 

A moment’s pause in the scurrying throng, 

And the querulous twang •£ a clamoring gong. 
Out of the road! Make way, make way! 

A trivial episode—yes, I know! 

But the loveliest thing, wherever you go, 

Is a touch of humanity, tender and true, 

With a glimpse of man’s brotherhood showing 
through. 

So out of the way, and let it pass! 


174 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Here’s help for the battered and bleeding and torn, 
Hope for the baffled and beaten and worn; 

’Tis a herald of mercy with message of life; 
Succor and safety, ’mid struggle and strife. 

Quick to one side, there! Let it pass! 

—John Carleton Sherman. 


THE MILLER OF NORMANDY. 

BY C. A. KEIFE. 

D IERRE, the miller of Normandy, 

A Haughty, and proud of his wealth was he. 
Proud of his houses, and proud of his gold, 
Proud of the lands that were his to hold; 
Proudest of all of his mill was he, 

Pierre, the miller of Normandy. 

Pierre, the miller of Normandy, 

Spent not a sou upon charity. 

Never the needy and famished poor 
Blessed him for alms as they left his door. 
“Beggars are liars and thieves,” said he,— 
Pierre, the miller of Normandy. 

Pierre, the miller of whom we tell, 

Sat by his door as the even fell; 

Saw a woman all bent with years, 

Face deep furrowed by bitter tears, 

Enter the gate by the chestnut tree, 

And ask for the miller of Normandy. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


175 


Pierre, the miller of Normandy,— 

Low before him she bent her knee, 

Prayed him for money to buy some food 
For a son who had ever been kind and good, 

But now, in illness and poverty, 

Craved food from Pierre of Normandy. 

Pierre, the miller of Normandy, 

Rose from his seat by the chestnut tree; 

“Come not hither to weep and wail! 

Fill other ears with thine idle tale! 

What do I care for thy son or thee?” 

Thus spoke the miller of Normandy. 

She lifted her sunken and aged eyes, 

And one palsied hand, to the evening skies. 

“Not to me alone were the harsh words said,— 

’Tis the Christ, who through me has asked for bread! 
The Lord himself craved for charity, 

And thou hast denied him, Pierre!” said she. 

“Know, 0 miller of Normandy! 

That the silver and gold are the Lord’s,” quoth she. 
’“xAnd that men may remember the starving poor 
Are sent by God to the rich man’s door. 

My son will be helped, but not through thee, 

Whom God will smite, Pierre of Normandy!” 

Pierre, the miller of Normandy! 

Long he sat ’neath the chestnut tree, 

Pondered her promise with doubt and dread, 
Pondered upon it all night, in bed; 


176 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Sleepless, at last from his couch rose he,— 

Pierre, the miller of Normandy. 

Pierre, the miller of Normandy, 

Down to his mill, at the dawn, strolled he; 

But an idle wheel and an empty race 
Were left in that old familiar place, 

For the river had changed its course, he found, 
And its waters flowed underneath the ground. 

Still, on a summer evening’s sail, 

The Norman fishers rehearse this tale; 

And the Norman peasants point out the mill, 
Ruined and worthless,, beneath the hill. 

Still does the river, with moaning sound, 

Plunge into earth and flow underground. 

Still, as of old in Normandy, 

Christ, through his poor, claims charity. 

Art thou poor? Bless God who has honored thee 
By Christ’s own estate—that of poverty! 

Art thou rich ? Then serve Him, nor seek to he 
Like Pierre, the miller of Normandy. 

—Sunday Afternoon. 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


177 


MISS PERKINS, FROM MAINE. 

BY EMMA EGGLESON. 

T' 1 HE Grundy County Institute was held the other 

A day 

At the Baptist Church at Putnam, just thirteen miles 
away; 

And I thought Fd like to ’tend it, bein’ how the day 
was fine. 

To see our modern teachers a formin’ into line. 

I’m strong on Eddication! Why, when I was a kid 

You’d orter seen my ’Rithmetic and the hard old sums 
I did! 

1 wras’led with my Jography, and managed Grammar 
well, 

And left off head most every night when we stood up 
to spell. 

If I writ a composition, I could whack it into rhyme, 

And the town-committee wondered at its meter and 
its time. 

I walked straight through the Deestrick School, its 
teachin’s was so plain, 

And finished at the ’Cademy, down in the State of 
Maine. 

I took five years of house-keepin’, and five of mill’- 
ner’s work, 

Then twenty years of fact’ry life where women cannot 
shirk; 


178 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


My head felt like a worn-out wheel a clatterin’ in its 
spokes, 

So I thought I’d take a holiday, and come and see my 
folks. 

I came to Iowa, and found my sister’s youngest girl; 

Her cheeks were red as roses and her hair was all 
a-curl; 

She was Angelliny Gibson, a graduate from college, 

A member of the Normal Class and full of Normal 
knowledge. 

And the Putnam folks had hired her to teach their 
graded school, 

In the Infantile department under Kindergarden 
rule; 

To give ’em object lessons, and learn ’em how to 
count, 

And draw out first-class wisdom directly from the 
fount. 

Angelliny’s big Diplomy, in its anti-fresco frame. 

Had an ornamental “Ph. D.” a waitin’ on her name. 

Now I’d learned the ’breviations entirely by heart, 

Knew Doctor of Divinity, and Bachelor of Art; 

But here I found a stunner, and it sorto troubled me 

That I couldn’t tell the meaning of the title “Ph. D.” 

She give no explanation, though I hinted round 
about; 

So I went up to the Institute a-purpose to find out, 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


179 


’Twasa great old day for Putnam, the Babtist Church 
was full; 

There was girls in plush and velvet, and men in plush 
and wool; 

A lady played the organ; she wore a sealskin cape, 

And she cuffed the stops and banged the keys in dret- 
ful desp-rate shape. 

One teacher aired Di-dactics; one picked up broken 
links; 

One built a tower of History and filled up all the 
chinks; 

One chawed three sticks of gum at once; her jaws 
worked up and down, 

It ’minded me of the village pump in some old East¬ 
ern town. 

But Angelliny took the cake, her discourse led the 
rest, 

And I knew the Superintendent thought it was the 
very best. 

You could see the fires of Genus a blazin’ in her 
eyes, 

And the flowers of Grundy County all wilted in sur¬ 
prise! 

The County Superintendent he was fitted for the 
place; 

His name was Philip Harmon, and he had a bonny 
face; 


180 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


He talked with Angelliny when the Institute was 
done, 

And said so many spicy things I can’t remember one! 

But when he tucked us in the sleigh, I caught a whis¬ 
pered word, 

’Twas “darling,” and I felt ashamed because I’d over¬ 
heard; 

As quick as flash of lightning the truth broke over me, 

That “Philip Harmon’s Darling,” for short, was 
“Ph. D.” 

Mebbe I am old-maidish, but I think way back in 
Maine, 

They wouldn’t put it into print and hang it in a 
frame; 

I’m glad my curiosity is satisfied and hushed, 

And glad I didn’t ask her, for I know she would have 
blushed. 

—Midland Monthly. 


THE MOTHER OF AN ANGEL. 

HT HE mother of an angel, she sat and wept all day, 
* And sorrow tore her as a wind that bloweth 
every way, 

And the bleeding heart within her cried out in woe 
and pain 

For the soft touch of baby arms she might not feel 
again, 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 181 

She laid her face upon the grave when autumn’s 
leaves were sere, 

And whispered to the little one, who nevermore might 
hear, 

% Nor thought that in the world above, full freed 
from toils and bars, 

One walked in fields of asphodels beyond the light 
of stars. 

The mother of an angel! Behold, her pleadings soared 

Till they, breeze-like, moved the mighty lights that 
flamed before the Lord, 

And he listened compassionate, and said, “Her will 
be done; 

This night she holds before our sight the vanished 
little one.” 

The mother of an angel, the soft snow fluttered down 

And fell like gentle touches upon the tattered gown; 

And the great winds moved about her, and night 
crawled on apace, 

But God had whispered to the soul close held in 
death’s embrace. 

And in the courts of heaven, the light and love beside, 

She held upon her blissful heart the baby that had 
died; 

And in the world men pitied her and wept—they 
did not know 

’Twas the mother of an angel they found there in 
the snow\ 

—Theodosia Pickering, Munsey’s Magazine. 


182 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


THE MAN WITH THE HOE. 


“God created man in His own image, in the image of God created 
He him.” 

D OWED by the weight of centuries, he leans 
Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground, 

The emptiness of ages in his face, 

And on his back the burden of the world. 

Who made him dead to rapture and despair, 

A thing that grieves not and that never hopes, 

Stolid and stunned, a brother to the ox? 

Who loosened and let down this brutal jaw? 

Whose was the hand that slanted back this brow? 
Whose breath blew out the light within this brain? 

Is this the Thing the Lord God made and gave 
To have dominion over sea and land; 

To trace the stars and search the heavens for power; 
To feel the passion of Eternity? 

Is this the Dream He dreamed who shaped the suns 
And pillared the blue firmament with light? 

Down all the stretch of Hell to its last gulf 
There is no shape more terrible than this— 

More tongued with censure of the world’s blind 
greed— 

More filled with signs and portents for the soul— 
More fraught with menace to the universe. 

What gulfs between him and the seraphim! 

Slave of the wheel of labor, what to him 
Are Plato and the swing of Pleiades? 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


183 


What the long reaches of the peaks of song. 

The rift of dawn, the reddening of the rose? 
Through this dread shape the suffering ages look; 
Time’s tragedy is in that aching stoop; 

Through this dread shape humanity betrayed, 
Plundered, profaned, and disinherited, 

Cries protest to the Judges of the World, 

A protest that is also prophecy. 

0 masters, lords and rulers in all lands, 

Is this the handiwork you give to God, 

This monstrous thing distorted and soul-quenched? 
How will you ever straighten up this shape; 

Touch it again with immortality; 

Give hack the upward looking and the light; 
Rebuild in it the music and the dream; 

Make right the immemorial infamies; 

Perfidious wrongs, immedicable woes? 

0 masters, lords and rulers in all lands, 

How will the Future reckon with this Man? 

How answer his brute question in that hour 
When whirlwinds of rebellion shake the world? 
How will it be with kingdoms and with kings— 
With those who shaped him to the thing he is— 
When this dumb Terror shall reply to God, 

After the silence of the centuries. 

—Edwin Markham. 


184 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


TEN LITTLE MICE WENT TO MARKET. 


Recitation and Shadow Pantomime. 

Stretch a plain white curtain very smoothly back of the drop 
curtain. Turn the lights low in the audience room and have a very 
bright light at the back of the stage. Dress ten very small chil¬ 
dren in any way so that their shadows on the white curtain will 
look like mice. Use padding, card board for ears and noses, rope 
for tails, etc. Mother Mouse larger. 

’"F HE mother mouse said, “It’s market day,— 

A We'll go to the pantry store 
And fill our baskets with nicer things 
Than ever we had before.” 

[Silhouette.—Mother Mouse, with market basket on arm, followed 
by ten little mice. All walk erect. Smart and bold ones strut, 
frisky one frisks, mannerly one bows, etc.] 

The greedy one said, “Fll fill myself 
The first thing, I’ll be bound; 

And if I can’t lift those luscious pies 
I’ll nibble them all around.” 

The sleek little mouse said, “I’ll get crumbs.” 

The inquisitive one said, “Where?” 

The shy one said, “Hist! somebody comes.” 

The bold one said, “I don’t care!” 

The frisky one said, “Oh, here’s some flour! 

Hurrah for a little fun!” 

[They run and frisk, Mother Mouse walks along by side scenes, 
reaching up as if there were shelves and putting things in basket.] 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


185 


They tracked it and trailed it all about,— 

You ought to have seen them run. 

The silly one said, “Now let’s play ghost 
And frighten the farmer’s wife.” 

The cautious one said, “She’ll cut off our tails 

With her dreadful carving knife.” 

\ 

[Let choir, or single voice, as preferred, sing. Air, old round, 
“Three Blind Mice:”] 

Ten little mice; ten little mice; 

See how they run; see how they run. 

They’d best look out for the farmer’s wife; 

She’ll cut their tails off with the carving knife. 

Did you ever see such a sight in your life? 

Ten little mice. 

[Smart little mouse raises nose and sniffs.] 

The smart little mouse said, “I smell cheese.” 

The inquisitive one said, “Where?” (All sniff.) 
Smarty replied, with a sniff and sneeze, 

In that little box over there. (Points.) 

The mannerly mouse said, “Will you please 
To help me to a share ? (Bows.) 

The Mother Mouse went down on her knees (kneels) 
And begged them all to beware. 

But Smarty said, “Pooh! she doesn’t know;” 

And popped in his little head. (Pops head behind 
side scenes.) 


186 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


The trap said "Click!” With a squeal and kick 

[Squeal behind scenes.] 

The smart little mouse was dead. 

The Mother Mouse said, in deepest grief, 
a Oh, nine little mourners, come!” 

Each using a cobweb handkerchief 
Nine sad little mice went home. 

[Weeping procession passes off stage. Sing.] 

One little mouse; poor little mouse! 

He cannot run; he cannot run. 

[Farmer’s wife appears. Night dress, cap with wide frill, carv¬ 
ing knife and candlestick.] 

And here comes the dreadful farmer’s wife 
With her candlestick and her carving knife. 

Did you ever see such a sight in your life? 

Poor little mouse! (Curtain.) 

Harriet D. Castle. 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


187 


Suggestions for Arranging Silhouettes. 


Curtain, same as in “Ten Little Mice.” 

Outline and enlarge the figures on stiff cardboard. Cut them out 
and fasten to a scantling. Bore holes in scantlings and insert 
slender braces to hold the figures erect, being careful to keep the 
brace behind some part of the figure. For instance, the goose 
might have an A shaped brace, the lower parts hidden by its legs. 

Have the figures behind the scenes at one side of the stage. 
Fasten a small rope to the end of the scantlings. Draw the rope 
across the stage, letting it reach behind £he scenes on the other 
side. Let some person pull in the rope, causing the figures to 
appear at one side, cross the stage and disappear at the others. 

Have some one describe the figures as they appear. 

TABLEAU. 

Three-handed Minuet. 

By Mother Goose, Mother Hubbard and the Old Man in Leather. 

The old ladies wear very short-waisted dresses with sleeves tight 
at the top and flowing from the elbows. Very wide collars extend¬ 
ing to the edge of the shoulders and to waist line. Large, steeple- 
crowned caps. Get large sheets of white paper at the printing 
office, cut a circle; the edge might be scalloped and pinked. Hold 
the center firmly and press down folds until you have a sufficiently 
high steeple crown. Place band around and flare out the re¬ 
mainder for a border. The border, or brim, should be six or seven 
inches wide. It may be necessary to wire the border to produce 
the flare. Lace caps well back on heads. Both wear large, old- 
fashioned glasses, slipped well down on the nose, and are smiling 
broadly. 

Mother Goose carries a large, old fashioned feather fan. 

The Old Man in Leather wears knee breeches, long - hose, and 
shoes with large bows and buckles. A tunic with two points reach¬ 
ing half way to the knee. Tunic held in place by a leather belt. 
A short cloak, or cape, fastens at the throat and is flung back 
from the shoulders. A very wide full ruff about the neck. A gray 
wig stands out at the sides in abundant curls. He stands in the 
center (with one foot forward) holding Mother Goose and Mother 
Hubbard daintily by the finger tips; arms bent upward from the 
elbow. Mother Hubbard catches up her skirt, coquettishly, with 
the other hand. 


I 





188 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 



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CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


189 


FARCE. 

IKEY’S STRATAGEM. 

CHARACTERS AND COSTUMES. 

Aunt Charity Tarbox.—A neat maiden lady. 

Ikey.—A mischievous boy of ten or twelve. 
Brother Churchill.—A minister. 

Daniel Small.—A Widower, with five “s m all” chil¬ 
dren, two boys, a girl and pair of twins. All have 
droll, neglected look. 

John Chambers.—A bachelor. 

SCENE FIRST. 


[A neat kitchen with cook stove, etc. Aunt Charity brushes stove 
and dusts as she soliloquizes.] 

Aunt Charity.—Well, I guess that woman’s-right 
lecturer that lectured up to the red school house last 
night is about right, an’ woman is the sooperier bein’. 
For instance, look at me! Here am I a runnin’ my 
farm an’ gittin’ along as well as a man, if I do say it 
myself, an’ nobody to help me but Ikey. A lone man 
might go on forever a-sayin’, “Darn it!” to his socks, 
an’ hitchin’ his suspenders on with a crooked nail, 
an’ git the dispepsy an’ die, eatin’ soggy bread an’ 
drinkin’ muddy coffee, an’ be buried in the dirt on his 
kitchen floor. He couldn’t git no woman to do for 
him; it wouldn’t he proper, noways. But a woman 
can do her sewin’ an’ patchin’, tidy up her house, 
cook good nourishin’ vittles, an’ hire a man to do the 


190 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


outdoor work. There’s where the sooperiority comes 
in. 

Enter Ikey (breathless)—Oh, Aunt Charity! Aunt 
Charity! The pigs has all got out! 

Aunt Charity—My goodness! Hain’t Billy come 
yet? 

Ikey.—No mom. (Aunt C. claps on sunbonnet, 
runs out, followed by Ikey.) 

Aunt C. (behind scenes)—Head ’em off, there, 
Ikey! Head ’em off. Here Shep! Here Shep! 

(Enter Aunt C., holding side and breathing hard.) 
—Well, I declare, I’m clean tuckered out! (Hangs up 
sunbonnet and sinks into chair.) Such a chase as I 
have had! an’ all because that shiftless Billy Smith 
didn’t half fix the fence. There’s no dependin’ on 
these men nohow. Good land! my beans is burnin’! 
(Runs to stove, snatches off kettle, raises lid.) Well, 
they’re completely spoiled! They’ll jest have to go 
in the swill. Maybe the pigs’ll relish ’em arfter their 
little exercise. (Carries out kettle at right—re¬ 
enters.) Well, we can’t have no porridge for dinner, 
an’ no baked beans for Sunday, neither,—an’ Ikey’s 
so fond of ’em, poor dear. He’ll jest have to put up 
with pumpkin pie, an’ ginger bread an’ fried cakes,— 
an’ it’s high time I was makin’ ’em. (Steps into 
pantry at left—starts back and holds up foot.) Good 
land! if that molasses I set to run h’ain’t run all over 
the pantry floor! (Recrosses stage, walking on heel. 
Exit at right—re-enter at right, carrying pail and 
mop. Sets pail at pantry door—vigorous mopping 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


191 


behind scenes—appears at door and wrings mop fre¬ 
quently. ) 

Enter Ikey (breathless)—Oh, Aunt Charity! Old 
Bill’s pulled his halter so tight he’s a chokin’ to 
death! 

Aunt C.—Oh, dear! dear! (Runs across stage to 
right, dragging mop after her—calls back:) Bring 
the butcher knife, Ikey. (Ikey rushes into pantry— 
reappears with butcher knife—runs out at right.) 

Aunt C. (re-enters, limping)—Well, that came 
very near bein’ the last of Old Bill. If I was a man 
an’ couldn’t tie a horse better’n that I’d git some wo¬ 
man to show me how. I’m afraid this kick, the poor 
old fellow gave me, is goin’ to be pretty sore. Per¬ 
haps I’d better bathe it with arnica. (Limps into 
pantry—returns with large bottle—seats herself with 
back to audience—sets bottle on floor at side—hangs 
shoe on chair post—stocking on chair back—takes 
cork from bottle—pours into hand and rubs several 
times—puts on stocking and shoe—takes bottle into 
pantry—carries mop-pail out at right.) Well, now 
I wonder if I’m goin’ to be permitted to git at that 
bakin’. (Puts kettle, with fried cakes in it, on stove, 
brings molding-board, pan of flour, with dough in 
it, rolling-pin, etc. Rolls dough.) Deary me, how 
fond my old sweetheart, John Chambers, used to be of 
fried cakes,—an’ he used to say no one could hold a 
candle to me fer makin’ ’em. (Cuts and twists 
cakes.) S’pose it ain’t jest the thing fer a sooperier 
woman to do, but I never make ’em, in the world, but 
what I think of him an’ feel kinder gone at the pit of 


192 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


my stumick. He’s a keepin’ old baches’ hall, an’ I 
don’t s’pose ever tastes a decent fried cake. I’ve been 
tempted, time an’ agin, to send him my reseet; (Drop 
dough cakes in at one side of kettle and take out fried 
ones) but he’d be sure to spile ’em a fryin’. He allers 
was sort of awkward. I s’pose if he hadn’t been kin¬ 
der stiff necked, an’ sot in his w’ay, an’ I hadn't been 
sort of conterary, an’ high-sperrited, he might be 
eatin’, an’ praisin’ these very fried cakes. (Sighs.) 
Oh, well, I s’pose it’s a wise dispensation of Provi- 
dince. 

(Enter Ikey, breathless.) Oh, Aunt Charity! old 
Brindle’s fast in the barb-wire fence! 

Aunt C.—Well what next? (Sets down pan of 
cakes—runs out. Re-enter Aunt C. with blood¬ 
stained handkerchief tied over one eye, and Ikey with 
torn jacket and trousers.) 

Aunt C.—It’s my candid opinion that barb-wire 
fences are barbe rous, an’ an invention of the evil one. 
There’s old Brindle all cut up, to say nothin’ of my 
scratches, an’ them clothes of yourn, that ought to do 
good service for six months yit, jest ruined. I won¬ 
der what’s become of that good-fer-nothin’ Bill Smith. 
He had ought to been here long a^o. 

Ikey (helping himself to friedcake)—Oh, Auntie, 

I forgot to tell you. He sent word he wa’n’t a-comin’. 
He’s a-goin’ to the shootin’ match. 

Aunt C.—Goin’ to the shootin’ match! Goin’ to 
the shootin’ match! I s’pose it’s very necessary an’ 
important that he should go to the shootin’ match. 
Well, I ain’t a-goin’ to no shootin’ match, but I’m 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


193 


a-goin’ to fire him , fer good an’ all (goes to stove). 
Here’s my grease all cold, an’ the fire out, an’ not a 
stick of wood to finish my bakin’ with. Well, I s’pose 
a woman ought to be ekel to, an’ sooperier to all emer- 
ginces. Come on, Ikey. We’ll jest cut an’ saw that 
wood ourselves. (Exit—Ikey eating friedcake.) 

Scene II. 

A PANTOMIME. 

Aunt C., with bandaged eye and sunbonnet, saw¬ 
ing wood. Ikey chopping. Saw runs very hard. 
Aunt C. examines edge. Ikey also examines edge. 
Ikey goes off on run. Returns with large whetstone. 
Aunt C. whets saw. Saw runs harder than before. 
They exchange work. Ikey tries saw. Aunt C. tries 
ax. Appears to cut foot-. Flings aside ax, sits down 
and grasps foot. Ikey runs to her assistance. Cur¬ 
tain. 

Scene III. 

Evening—Aunt C. in rocking chair on one side of 
stove, eye still bandaged, bandaged foot on chair. 
Ikey on opposite side of stove with table, lamp and 
writing materials. 

Aunt C.—This has been a dretful day, Ikey! a 
dretful day! We’ve got to have some one to help us 
right away; an’ as I don’t know where to look fer 
nobody, I think it would be best to put a little ad¬ 
vertisement in the newspaper. But you’ll hev to 
write it, Ikey. I can’t see very well with one eye, an’ 
1 don’t feel no ways ekel to it nohow. You write a 


194 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


good hand, Ikey; I guess you ken do it as well as I 
ken. 

Ikey (with importance)—Certainly, Aunt Charity. 
1 don’t mind a little thing like that. Don’t the law¬ 
yers begin ’em something like this? “Know all men 
by these presents”— 

Aunt C.—Seems to me that sounds a little too sol¬ 
emn like. I ain’t a-makin’ my will yit,—not by con- 
sidabul. Git the newspaper, Ikey, an’ see how some 
of ’em begins. 

Ikey (reads with great dignity)—Here’s one that 
says: “They all come back!” 

Aunt C.—Mercy knows I don’t want all them good- 
fer-nothin’ men to come back! They’ve nearly pes¬ 
tered the life out of me, now. 

Ikey—Here’s one that says, “I Pop the Question.” 

Aunt C.—Well, I shan’t do that , nohow. 

Ikey (aside)—That’s it! That’s just what she 
had ought to do ! She don’t want no hired man; they 
ain’t none of ’em good fer nothin’. She wants a hus¬ 
band! (Resumes reading.)—Here’s a place where 
it says, “Wanted, Wanted, Wanted,” clear down the 
hull row. 

Aunt C.—Well, read a little. Let’s see what’s 
wanted so much. 

Ikey (reads)—“Wanted—A girl to do general 
housework. Must be stiddy an’ reliable. Protestant. 
preferred. Apply to Mrs. C-J-, Second Ave¬ 

nue.” 

Aunt C.—That’s it, Ikey! Why couldn’t we word 
it like that? only jest say a man fer general farm 



CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


195 


work, an’ a Methodist preferred; an’ apply to Charity 
Tarbox, Clumps Corners. 

Ikey—I thought Fd find the right thing, Aunt 
Charity. (Aside)—Jiminy! won’t I fix it? (Writes 
laboriously.) There, I’ve got it all writ, Aunt Char¬ 
ity,—plain as a lawyer. 

Aunt C.—Read it over, Ikey, an’ see if it’s all right. 

Ikey (reads)—Wanted: A man to do general farm 
work. Must be stiddy an’ reliable. Methodist pre¬ 
ferred. Apply to Charity Tarbox, Clumps Corners. 

Aunt C.—Well, that’s all right, I guess. Now 
jump on old Dolly, Ikey, an’ take it down to the print¬ 
in’ office, sost they’ll be sure to git it in this week’s 
paper. 

Ikey—All right, Aunt Charity. It takes us to push 
business. (Aside to audience just before leaving 
stage)—This is the way I writ it: “Wanted—A hus¬ 
band to do general farm work.” (Sticks tongue in 
cheek, winks.) H’ain’t that old business? (Cur¬ 
tain.) 

Scene IY. 

Aunt C. in rocking chair, beside stove, patching 
Ikey’s pants. Rap at door. 

Aunt C.—Wonder who that is so arly in the arfter- 
noon. (Smooths hair and apron, goes to door.) 

Ikey (aside, peering from scenes)—Jiminy! if it 
h’ain’t the preacher! Wonder if he’s seen the adver¬ 
tisement. 

Aunt C.—Why, good arfternoon, Brother Church¬ 
ill. Set up to the fire. It’s gittin’ sort of chilly like. 


196 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Brother C.—Yes, there are slight premonitions of 
the approaching dissolution of the year. 

Aunt C. (doubtfully and respectfully)—Y-e-e-s, 
sir! 

Ikey (aside)—Wonder if he h’ain’t got dislocation 
of the jaw. 

Brother C.—How are you prospering with your 
farming, Sister Tarbox? 

Aunt C.—Oh, jest midlin’, Brother Churchill. The 
fact is I can’t find a hired man that’s worth his keep- 
in’. They pester me nearly to death. 

Brother C.-—I understand the situation, sister, and 
sympathize with you in your affliction. 

Aunt C.—Thank you kindly, Brother Churchill. A 
sympathizin’ word, now an’ then, does a body a world 
of good. 

Brother C.—And this tribulation, I suppose is ex- 
egetical of your rather unusual advertisement ? 

Ikey (aside)—Oh, jiminy ! he seen it! 

Aunt C.—Did you see it ? Wa’n’t it all right ? 

Brother C.—Ahem—well—I was gratified to see 
that you gave the preference to your own denomina¬ 
tion. 

Aunt C.—Yes, Protestants may be all right, but I 
thought I’d feel more to hum with a Methodist. 

Brother C.—Quite proper and commendable, sister; 
indeed I may say this commendable feature of your 
advertisement predisposed me to call upon you to¬ 
day. 

Aunt C.—I’m glad you approve of it, Brother 
Churchill. I thought maybe I hadn’t ort to mix re- 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


197 


ligion up with advertisin’. Did you think of any one 
you thought would suit me ? 

Brother C.—Ahem—well, sister, I thought perhaps 
I might prove acceptable to you in that capacity. 

Ikey (whistles)—Whew, if he ain’t a poppen’ the 
question! 

Aunt C. (somewhat dazed)—Which? 

Ikey (doubling himself and laughing)—He, he, he, 
Aunt Charity don’t catch on! 

Brother C. (blandly)—I thought perhaps you 
would wish to engage me, sister. 

Ikey (groaning)—Oh, won’t I have to learn the 
catechism! 

Aunt C. (astonished)—Good land, Brother 
Churchill! the wages wouldn’t suit you, nohow. I 
ain’t payin’ very high wages. 

Brother C.—You are pleased to be facetious, sis¬ 
ter. The enjoyment of a peaceful rural home and 
your most excellent housekeeping would be ample 
compensation. 

Ikey (aside)—An’ her cookin'. My, you ort to see 
him eat! 

Aunt C.—But you couldn’t do my work an’ tend 
to the preachin’ an’ visitin’! You ain’t strong 
enough, an’ you wouldn’t hev time, no way. 

Brother C. (somewhat embarrassed)—Ahem—I 
feel somewhat spent with the burden and heat of the 
day, sister, and thought perhaps I might rest from 
my labors for a season. 

Aunt C.—What! Quit preaehin’ ? 


198 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Brother C. (still more embarrassed)—Ahem—yes, 
sister. 

Aunt C. (indignantly)—I’m a plain spoken’ wo¬ 
man, Brother Churchill, an’ I must say it seems to 
me a man h’ain’t no business to hire out to work fer 
the Lord an’ go back on his bargain. The Scripter 
says we mustn’t put our hand to the plow an’ not look 
back; an’ a man that’ll do it when he’s a workin’ in 
the Lord’s vineyard won’t suit me no way. I want 
my furrers run straight. 

Brother C. (rising stiffly)—I am not accustomed to 
being addressed in such disrespectful language, Char¬ 
ity Tarbox. But what else could I expect from a wo¬ 
man who would insert such a bold, immodest adver¬ 
tisement as that? 

Aunt C.—I’ve always been a decent, respectable 
woman, an’ any one that says I h’ain’t ken take him¬ 
self off in a hurry. (Points to door—exit Brother C. 
—Ikey capers—dog barks behind scenes.) 

Ikey (aside)—That’s right, Shep ! Let’s sing the 
dogsology. 

Aunt C. (picks up work, sews)—My days, I never 
was so flustered in all my life! I’ve allers respected 
Brother Churchill as a minister, an’ eddicated man, 
an’ here I’ve been a turnin’ him out of doors. Maybe 
I was a leetle hasty. Wonder if there was anything 
wrong about that advertisement. I can’t see why it 
ain’t jest as proper to advertise fer a man as it is to 
ask him by word of mouth. 

Ikey (aside)—I’ll tell him I writ it. (Knock at 
door.) 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


199 


Aunt C. (nervously)—Wonder if he’s come back! 

Ikey (aside)—It’s Daniel Small an’ all his small 
childern! 

Aunt C. (opening door)—Why, good arfternoon, 
Mr. Small. Walk in, childern. Come right to the 
fire. You look most froze. 

Mr. S.—It’s giftin’ right sharp. 

Aunt C. (seats them by stove—twins begin to 
whimper)—I shouldn’t wonder if they was hungry, 
poor dears. (Goes into pantry—gives twins fried 
cakes.) 

Mr. S. (smiling)—I always thought you’d make a 
good step-mother, Miss Tarbox 

Ikey (groaning)—I’d rather she’d had the parson. 

Oldest Boy—Gimme a fried cake, too ! 

Next Boy—Me, too ! 

Older Girl—I like fried cakes. 

Aunt C.—Of course you do. Who ever saw a child 
that didn’t? (Brings out pan—gives children 
cakes.) 

Mr. S.—They know good vittles when they see ’em ; 
an’ that ain’t very often, sence my poor Betsey Jane 
died. 

Aunt C. (passing pan)—Maybe you’d take one, too, 
Mr. Small. 

Mr. S.—Thankee, I don’t care if I do. 

Ikey (aside)—Me, too! 

Mr. S. (sighing)—This tastes jest like my poor 
Betsey Jane’s fried cakes. 

Aunt C.—Yes, Miss Small was a good cook an’ tidy 


200 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


'housekeeper. It seems a great pity she hed to be 
taken. It was a sad dispensation of Providence. 

Mr. S. (sighing deeply)—Yes,-there’s no disputin’ 
Providence. Now I says to myself, when I saw your 
advertisement in the newspaper, this mornin’, “That’s 
a direct pintin’ of the finger of Providence.” 

Oldest Boy—Gimme another fried cake. (Chorus 
of “Me, too’s.” Aunt C. gives cakes.) 

Mr. S.—Now do be quiet, children. Me an’ Miss 
Tarbox wants to talk. (Boys try on Ikey’s pants, girl 
upsets Aunt C.’s workbasket, twins pull off table- 
spread, and all get into all sorts of mischief during 
talk.) 

Mr. S.—Says I to myself, “Here am I a poor lone 
man with no one to look arfter me an’ the children; 
an’ there’s Miss Tarbox a poor lone woman with no 
one to look after that nice farm of hern. Now as our 
farms jine I might jest as well look arf ter both of ’em 
as not, an’ I’ll go right over an’ offer myself to Miss 
Tarbox.” 

Aunt C.—Well, I declare, I never thought of that! 
I believe it would be a pretty good plan. I’d feel so 
much easier in my mind to have a stiddy family man 
to look arfter things, instid of one of them harrum- 
sc-arrum young fellers. 

Ikey (aside)—Oh, jiminy! She’s a goin’ to say 
yes! 

Mr. S. (smiling and hitching chair toward Aunt 
C.)—I’m real glad you think favorable of it, Charity. 
I thought you would. 

Aunt C. (spies boys shearing cat’s back with 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 201 

shears—have toy cat and kittens in low basket beside 
stove)—Boys! boys! don't cut that cat’s fur! Poor 
kitty! 

Oldest Boy (doggedly, still shearing)—It don’t 
hurt her none. 

(Aunt C. rises with decision—takes shears—hangs 
them up.) 

Mr. S.—That’s right, Charity. You see they sadly 
need a mother’s care an’ trainin’. Now, boys, you go 
right straight home! Straight now, mind you, an’ 
no mischief. (Boy^ go, pausing to make face at 
Aunt C. before leaving stage.) 

Mr. S. (hitching chair toward Aunt C.)—Well, 
Charity, my dear, I s’pose there’ll be a good many 
little perlimernaries to settle. When would you want 
me to come over ? 

Aunt C.—Why, right away, I s’pose. It’s pretty 
hard on Ikey an’ me gittin’ along alone. I’m ’fraid 
he’s doin’ moren’s good fer him. It don’t do to work 
a growdn’ boy too hard. 

Mr. S.—No, but they ken do a good many turns 
without hurtin’ ’em a mite. It don’t do to be too 
tender of ’em. 

(Ikey groans—girl and twins at cat’s basket— 
mewing of kittens behind scenes.) 

Aunt C.—Don’t hurt the kittens, children! 

Girl (takes kitten from box—strikes)—Walk, 
there! 

Aunt C.—It can’t walk. It’s too young. 

Girl—Well, it’s got to learn to walk sometime. 
Might’s well begin. (Twins both pull another kitten 


202 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

and scream. Aunt C. with haste and determination 
puts kittens in basket—carries out basket—much 
mewing—oldest girl sulks and kicks over chair—• 
twins whimper and rub knuckles in e}^es.) 

Mr. S.—I s’pose you’ll find the children sort of 
troublesome at first, Charity; but you’ll soon git used 
to ’em. They ain’t bad, only chuck full of mischief, 
an’ wantin’ a woman’s care. (Children stray into 
pantry.) 

Aunt C.—Yes, I see. I feel real sorry fer you, Mr. 
Small. 

Mr. S. (hitching toward her)—I knew you would, 
Charity. I brought ’em along a purpose. I thought 
they’d kinder appeal to your woman’s heart. It’s a 
good thing your house is as big as your heart or there 
wouldn’t be room fer us all. Shall I bring ’em over 
to-morrow ? 

Aunt C. (astonished)—Why! you don’t expect me 
to have all them young ones over here, do you, Daniel 
Small? 

Mr. S.—Why, certainly, my dear Charity. You 
wouldn’t expect me to forsake my poor motherless 
little ones, would you ? 

Aunt C.—Of course not. It would be a mighty 
small trick in you. But no more you can’t expect me 
to have ’em over here. (Crash of breaking dishes in 
pantry—children scream—Aunt C. rushes in—comes 
out driving children before her.) 

Aunt C.—That’s a leetle too much! all my best 
chaney broke all to smash! I don’t believe there’s a 
hull cup an’ sasser left! My patience is clear worn 


203 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

out! Take these children home, Daniel Small, an’ 
don’t you ever bring ’em here agane. 

Mr. S. (stiffly)—Certainly, Miss Tarbox, an’ I’ll 
have nothin’ more to do with a woman that turns poor 
motherless children out of doors. But what could be 
expected of a woman that wrote such an advertise¬ 
ment as that? 

(Exit Mr. S. and children.) 

Ikey (aside)—Good! That engagement’s broke 
off! 

Aunt C.—What do they all mean by talkin’ ’sif that 
advertisement was somethin’ dretful ? Well, I think 
I’d better tidy up a bit. Things look ’sif a cyclone 
hed struck ’em. (Tidies kitchen—goes into pantry— 
sound of sweeping and rattling of dishes—crosses 
stage with basket and dustpan full of broken dishes— 
goes out at right—comes in with cat’s basket—sets in 
place.) There, you poor dears; you’re jest shakin’ 
with cold. I feel ’sif I’d like to shake them chi Idem! 
My chaney set jest ruined! I s’pose I’d ought to be 
ashamed to let my temper get the better of me so. 
That advertisement’s goin’ to git me into a quarrel 
with the hull neighborhood, I’m afraid. (Seats her¬ 
self—takes up work—rap at door.) 

Ikey (aside)—Here comes her old sweetheart! 

Aunt C.—I hope I ain’t goin’ to hear no more 
about that advertisement. (Opens door—stands in 
speechless astonishment.) 

Ikey (aside)—He, he, he, she’s struck speechless! 

John Chambers (stepping in)—Good arf ter noon, 
Charity. 


204 CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Aunt C. (gasping)—Good arfternoon, John. 

John C.—If you’ve no objections, Charity, I’ll set 
by your fire a spell. 

Aunt C.—Oh, yes, I’m glad to have ye—er—er— 
that is, the fire feels warm this weather. 

John C. (aside)—Something is the matter. I’ve 
felt worried about her ever since I saw that advertise¬ 
ment. (To Aunt C.)—It’s been quite a spell since 
I set by your fire, Charity. 

Aunt C.—Y-e-e-s, John. Now don’t mind me. 
I’m all upset this arfternoon! (Puts apron to eyes.) 

John C. (goes to her and pats shoulder)—Now 
don’t cry, Charity! If I hadn’t been such a pig¬ 
headed fool, an’ so sot in my way, you might have 
been a-sittin’ by my fire these fifteen years back. 

Aunt C.—It wa’n’t all your fault, John; I was 
sassy an’ high strung. 

John C. (putting arm around shoulders)—Well, 
let by-gones be by-gones, Charity. I guess we’ve both 
learned to bear an’ forbear. (Aunt C. leans against 
him and cries.) I’ve been dretful worried about ye. 

' I didn’t know I did set so much store by ye vit, till I 
saw that advertisement. 

Aunt C. (aside in dismay)—Now, have I got to 
quarrel with John agane? 

Ikey (aside)—I’m goin’ to tell how I writ it! 

John C. (continuing)—I thought maybe you’d 
gone kind of crazy, or something; I guess, too, I was 
afraid some other man ’ud git ye. (Stamping and 
shuffling at door. Aunt C. straightens up—J. C. 
steps away a little—enter Ikey.) 


CASTLE’S SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENTS. 


205 


Ikey—Say, Auntie, I didn’t write that advertise¬ 
ment jest as you told me to. 

Aunt C.—You didn’t? Well, how did you write 
it? 

Ikey—I didn’t say, “Wanted. A man to do gen¬ 
eral farm work;” I said, “Wanted. A husband 

Aunt C. (raising both hands)—Why, Isaac Na- 
thanyel Tarbox! What will the neighbors say ? 

J. C.—Haw, haw, haw! (Puts arm around Aunt 
C.)—Never mind what the neighbors say, Charity. I 
guess we can stand it. 

Ikey—What’s the diff, Auntie ? Ain’t a husband a 
man? 

J. C.—Certainly, Ikey. When I’m her husband 
I’ll try my best to be her good man. 

Ikey (turns summersault)—Good fer you, Uncle 
John! I was awful ’fraid she’d marry the parson; 
or that Small man an’ all his small children. Say, 
Auntie, be there any fried cakes left ? 

Aunt C. (bashfully)—I guess so, Ikey, dear. You 
might bring out the pan. You used to be so fond of 
’em, John. 

J. C.—I’m jest as fond of ’em as ever, an’ of you, 
too, Charity. (Ikey passes cakes.) 

Ikey—Take one, Auntie. You must feel kinder 
faint. Say now, Auntie, honor bright, ain’t you glad 
I writ it that way ? 

Aunt C.—Well, as I believe in speakin’ the truth, I 
must say I be. (Curtain.) 

HARRIET D. CASTLE. 




Cbe Evangeline Book 

For Fourth Grade. By F. M. MUHLIG. Contains a concise story of 

“Evangeline’s Land,” from the 
discovery to the present. The 
Acadians, their folk-lore, customs 
and traditions are carefully treated. 
The text is illustrated by many 
half-tones and maps, making it in¬ 
valuable to the teacher of literature. 
It also contains the poem entire, 
and copious notes on the text. It 
is peculiarly adapted to school use. 
Every person should not only read 
the poem Evangeline, but should 
study it, should give the matter 
thought so as to realize the wealth 
of expression, the suggestion for 
ideals, and the historical value of 
this great work. Adopted by Mis¬ 
souri Pupils’ Reading Circle. 

Paper, 20 cts.; cloth, 30 cts. 

Evangeline Study 

A new edition for school use. 
For Fourth Grade. Edited, with 
introduction, notes and a plan of 
study, by W. F. CONOVER. 
Some opinions of “Plan of Study: ” “Have seen nothing so good in this 
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Contains illustrations, maps, etc., and the poem complete. 152 pages. 
Paper, 15 cents; cloth, flexible, 25 cents. 

natural System of teaching Geography 

By W. H. H. BEADLE, Pres. State Normal School, S. D., and A. F. 
BARTLETT, Ex-Supt. City Schools, Lake Geneva, Wis. A new and successful 
method of teaching Geography. Economical of time and energy, interesting to 
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A fine system of map drawing exercises, with full directions for drawing each 
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By this system pupils gain a better knowledge of General Geography in 
two terms than by the ordinary methods in two years. Form, comparative size 
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are by this system quickly and permanently fixed in the mind. A book carefully 
graded and adapted to the use of pupils and teachers in connection with the 
regular text. Board binding. 132 pages. 8x10 inches. 50 cents. 

A. FLANAGAN, CHICAGO. 








natural System of teaching Geography 

BY 

W. H. H. BEADLE, 

Pres. State Normal School , S. D., 

AND 

A. F. BARTLETT, 

Ex-Supt. City Schools, Lake Geneva , Wis. 


A NEW and successful method of teaching Geography. Economical 
of time and energy, interesting to the pupil, satisfying in results. 
Worked out and fully tested in the school-room by practical teachers, en¬ 
dorsed by the ablest critics. Simple, logical, successful. A fine system of 
map drawing exercises, with full directions for drawing each grand division, 


U. S., etc., etc. 

This book is intended as a supplement to the regular text-book 
in geography, and not in any sense as a substitute for it. 

The system of teaching geography here presented is not a the¬ 
ory merely, but a practical method, every detail of which has been 
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suggested to the authors by the generally unsatisfactory results secured 
from teaching the subject in the usual way, and which were only partially 
remedied by the many improved texts that were issued. The time and energy 
expended by both teacher and pupil seemed to them to be out of reasonable 
proportion to the results secured. Of the great mass of matter studied but 
little was retained, and there was always more or less confusion in the 
mind of the pupil in regard to those prime essentials of geographical knowl¬ 
edge-form, comparative size, drainage, relative position, climate, pro¬ 
ducts, etc. 

The system and the book are planned primarily for the successive 
grades and classes of our public schools. 

The drawing of maps is a very important feature of this book, 
but is not to be confounded with map drawing as usually understood. The 
aim here is to secure a world-picture, and not that of an isolated continent 


or country. 

The outline of work for each grade has been given in full, and is, 

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By this system pupils gain a better knowledge of General Geog¬ 
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comparative size and relative positions of all bodies of land and water, the 
fundamental essentials, are by this system quickly and permanently fixed in 
the mind. A book carefully graded and adapted to the use of pupils and 
teachers in connection with the regular text. Board binding, 132 pages, 
8x10 inches. Price 50 cents. 


A* FLANAGAN, 267 Wabash Ave., Chicago* 


FOOD PLANT GHARTS 

Food lessons are now in demand in all schools and nothing is more interesting than 
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COCOA CLOVES ALLSPICE 

COFFEE NUTMEGS GINGER 

TEA PEPPER CINNAMON 

COCOA-PALM 

Each set consists of ten plates and cover, printed on heavy white paper. It is neatly 
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Price, prepaid, 40c. 


ROTE SONGS 


For Primary Grades 


By Prof. C. T. Steele, Assistant Supervisor of Music, New York City Schools. Simple 
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America, the Fair, the Free 

Before All Lands 

Butterfly and the Flowers 

Coasting Song 

Cradle Song 

Evening Hymn 

Good King Arthur’s Pudding 

God Covers All 

God’s Goodness. 

Happy Children 
Harvest Time Hymn 
How the Flowers Grow 
How to Make a Shoe 


In the Forest 
In the Woodland 
I Love Little Pussy 
I’m Quite a Big Boy (Girl) 
Jing, Jing, Jing-a-Ling 
Jack and Jill 
Little Bo Peep 
Little Drops of Water 
Mary Had a Little Lamb 
Mary Cary’s Two Canaries 
Marching Song 
Morning Song 


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NATURAL HISTORY CARDS 

For Composition Work 

The set consists of twenty Cards, each containing illustration and an outline for com¬ 
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LIBRRRY OF CONGRESS 


Course of Study in History and Lit 

By Emily J. Rice, of the Chicago Noi 
attempt to adapt History and Literature to the youngest 
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suggested. Outlines for each grade. Material to select and 
where to get it—books relating to the matter taught—all 
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frequently. Price, cloth, 191 pages, 75 cents. 

Gibson’s' School History of the United States. 

Superior to other texts in the topical arrangement of the matter, 
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The Plan Book. 

Ten books, one for each school month, each of 112 large pages, 
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Wallbank’s Outlines in English Grammar. 

Intended for advanced classes or in connection with any com¬ 
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Is being extensively used in Reviews, Institute Drills and 
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A. FLANAGAN, 267 Wabash Ave., Chicago. 



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